Rise of the Daemon Kaiser
by F91
Summary: On the tail of tragedy comes the revival of an ancient evil. Can Nanoha, Fate, and the others overcome their grief and face this new foe?
1. Chapter 1

"Olivie-sama! With those injuries, you can't…"

"Please, I must do this while I am still able. I have to use the Cradle to seal him away. My bloodline shall end with me, so no other will be able to move this ship. He will remain forever buried."

"But I have already placed a seal…"

"No, that won't be enough to hold him. I can feel his influence, even now. Those of your clan may fall victim to it and remove the seal. Please, I beseech you and your tribe. Keep this location hidden from the record of history. This will be my final act as Saint Kaiser."

"I… I will obey, my king."

"I thank you. I… pray that… the world… will never have… to face him… again…"

X-X-X

It had taken years for the paperwork to go through, but Yuuno had finally gained the right to excavate the area around where the Cradle of the Saint King had been unearthed. Although the ship was no more, its legacy could still be uncovered.

Perhaps he was being too optimistic, however. His team had been searching for over a month, but they had yet to find anything. Could only the ship have been buried there and nothing more? Yuuno decided to pack it up. While his crew was busy collecting the equipment, he chose to have another quick look around the site. He wandered around the crater, hoping something had been over looked. He reached where the border met the mountains, but nothing had caught his eye. By his team's estimates, where Yuuno currently stood had been where the bow of the ship lay.

As he turned to leave, the ground beneath his feet vibrated. An earthquake? The young archaeologist jumped away as rocks tumbled down the side of the mountain. When the rumbling ceased and the dust cleared, Yuuno found himself staring into the depths of a cavern.

Was this a coincidence or had some sort of higher power intervened? This could be the discovery he was looking for!

Not wanting to get the hopes of his team up, Yuuno decided to venture in on his own. He sent a communication to the others, telling them that he was going to take a look inside a cave, but that they should continue packing the supplies anyways.

Pulling out the flashlight he carried in his pocket, Yuuno slipped into the darkness. He felt the floor go on a downward incline as he ventured deeper into the earth. The cave was no different than the countless others he had traversed. The dank, musty air always smelled the same.

But what he found at the end was what told him he hit the jackpot. A large, metallic door stood before him. On the cave wall next to it, ancient Belkan text was etched into the rock. However, Yuuno could not read any of it, for time had rendered the message illegible. There was one symbol that he would recognise anywhere, though. It was displayed prominently on the door itself. It was the crest of clan Scrya, the tribe Yuuno belonged to.

Yuuno knew his tribe had a long history, but he hadn't imagined it stretched all the way back to the era of the Belkan Kings. What could be beyond this door? How could he open it? He didn't see any sort of mechanism. Would he need to call his demolition team?

Yuuno gently rubbed his hand across the door, wondering what secrets it could hold.

The Crest of Scrya shone and the door parted. Yuuno jerked back as it opened. A wind whipped past as the pressure normalised. Light also flooded out from the door. Yuuno stepped into the well lit area and was amazed at how pristine everything was. There was not even a speck of dirt or dust. No cob webs, and no signs of any decay what so ever. The seal that was placed on it must have been most impressive.

Yuuno's heart began to beat faster. Whatever treasure he was to find would certainly be in a similar condition of perfection. The thought of what knowledge could be obtained made him lick his lips.

However, all that lay before him was a hallway, and at the end stood yet another door. Hoping lightning would strike twice, Yuuno placed his hand on the door. It spilt open in the same manner.

When he saw the contents of the room, the young man's face went from one of expectant glee to one of sheer terror.

"Who the…" Yuuno's instincts screamed at him to run, but his feet remained rooted in place. The capsule before him slowly opened.

"Well, it seems to be my lucky day. Afraid I can't say the same for you, though."

The explosion that followed caused the surrounding forest to burn for three days.

X-X-X

Nanoha hummed a little tune as she peered into the glass window of her oven. The cake she was baking was turning out nicely. Vivio would be home from school shortly. Nanoha was looking forward to decorating the cake with her daughter.

Since the Ace of Aces had to be removed from active duty due to health concerns, she didn't have much to do during the day. She usually found herself baking or cleaning or similar menial tasks to pass the time. Yesterday had been a pie.

It was a simple life, but a peaceful one. All those who were important to her were there, and that's all she needed.

When she heard the ring of her doorbell, she called up a view screen to see who it was. She wasn't expecting anyone. A quick glance at the blonde top was all she needed to see.

"Geeze, that Fate-chan." Nanoha huffed as she quickly ran her hands under the faucet. "I keep telling her that she can just come right in…" She took a towel and wiped her hands as she headed to the door. Fate could join them for cake, too.

Nanoha opened the door with a smile, but she froze when she saw her friend. The towel fluttered to the floor. Fate was in full uniform rather than casual clothes she usually visited in. Her gaze was steady, but her eyes were puffy and red. Streaks adorned her cheeks.

Everyone who donned a uniform knew the signs. This was no casual visit.

"F-Fate-chan, what's wrong?" Nanoha was aware of the answer, but she felt compelled to ask anyways.

"…" Fate had practised this so many times in her car, but the words still didn't come easy. "Nanoha, let's go in and sit down." Nanoha's head slowly began shaking side to side.

"Who… Who was it?" Panic seeped into her voice. "What happened? It's nothing serious, right?"

Fate bit her bottom lip. Nanoha was a girl who loved her friends dearly. She was a girl who had never really experienced the loss of a loved one. Fate knew the news would shatter her.

"Let's sit down, Nanoha." Fate repeated.

"No, no! Fate-chan, tell me what…"

"Please." Fate put her hands on the other girl's shoulders. She stared into her eyes and lightly pushed her into the house when Nanoha remained motionless. Fate gently pulled the brunette down onto the couch.

"Fate-chan…"

"Nanoha, there was an… accident." Fate swallowed. This was hard on her too, damn it. Experience had taught her it was best to make the wound quick and clean, but… "I'm so sorry, Nanoha. It's… It's Yuuno. He's gone."

"W… What are you talking about Fate-chan?" Nanoha smiled shakily. "It's not nice to joke about things like that."

"I'm not joking, Nanoha. There was an explosion and Yuuno was underground at the time…"

"No! It's a mistake! It must be!" Nanoha's voice was hot with insistence. "There's no way something like that would happen to Yuuno-kun! He would protect himself with a barrier or teleport away!"

"The entire area was turned to rubble. Scans showed no signs of life."

Nanoha shot to her feet, frantic. "I'll go call him right now! I'll call Yuuno-kun and you'll see he's ok! You'll see…"

Fate grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Nanoha. I'm so sorry."

"No, no, no." Her voice broke into sobs. "This can't be happening! Not Yuuno-kun!"

Fate allowed Nanoha's tears to soak her uniform. Fate didn't want to believe the news either. That the gentle, kind man she had known for over a decade could suddenly not be there anymore was unthinkable.

"I'm ho…" Vivio stopped dead as she saw her mamas holding each other on the couch. "Fate-mama, what's wrong? Why is Nanoha-mama crying?"

"Come here, Vivio." Fate gestured. She used her one arm to pull her god child to her. "It's… about Yuuno."

"Did something happen to Yuuno-san?" The child was quite fond of the family friend. She would always visit him at the library and be amazed at all he could teach her.

"You… You won't be able to see him anymore." Fate decided on the words.

It was easy for a ten year old of Vivio's intelligence to connect the dots. Those mismatched eyes began to water. "You… You mean he died?"

"I'm afraid that's what it means…" Fate silently held the other girls in a three way hug as they cried. She held back her own tears for their sake. She needed to be strong for them.

In their grief they failed to notice the smell of burnt cake that wafted into the room. The oven detected this and shut itself off.

X-X-X

The church was flooded with a sea of black. Nanoha felt so awkward in her white uniform. She sat up front with her family who had made the trip to Mid Childa for the service. Momoko held her youngest daughter's hand as they sent off the young man they had first known as a pet ferret. Alisa and Suzuka were also there, shedding tears for their lost friend.

Nanoha was happy for the support, but her heart felt as empty as the casket she stared at. They hadn't even tried to recover Yuuno's body. There was too much debris. Too much to search through. He was buried, but far deeper than six feet. Not only had Nanoha been robbed of a close friend, but she was also robbed of the chance to see his face one last time.

Knight Carim presided over the service herself. She was one of the many people the librarian had helped out on several occasions.

Soon, it was Chrono's turn to speak. Originally, Nanoha had been offered that role. She had been Yuuno's longest friend, but she just wasn't up to it.

"Uh, let me start by thanking you all for coming." The admiral said. "By seeing how many of you are here, it stands testament to just how much Yuuno has done. He was a skilful mage, even when I first met him. He was a valuable player in resolving several cases at the time, and from there he became the head librarian at the Infinity Library."

"No matter what unreasonable task I gave him, or how many times I insulted the little ferret-changeling, he would always do his job. Sure, he'd complain my ears off, but he always came through. Usually in half the time I gave him, too. I bet he did that just to spite me." Chrono attempted to smile, but cleared his throat to cover his failure to do so. "That's the sort of person Yuuno was. Kind and reliable, never turning away a person in need."

"His thirst for knowledge has led to many discoveries that have made everyday living easier for all. His time may have been cut short, but he died doing what he loved. His legacy will always live on. We must keep him alive in our hearts and not let grief overcome us. That's what Yuuno would have wanted."

X-X-X

Nanoha stared blankly as the coffin was lowered into the ground. None of it felt real. Not her mother's shoulder against her ear, not Vivio's hand in hers, and certainly not the tombstone with Yuuno's name etched on it. Part of her expected him to suddenly pop up and reveal that he was ok. Part of her expected to wake up any moment and receive a call from him.

But with each passing moment, that seemed less and less likely. Yuuno wasn't one to make others worry. If he was ok, he'd find a way to tell everyone as soon as he could.

Nanoha had never been to a funeral before. She had no idea what she was supposed to do.

All she could do was cry.

X-X-X

Nanoha now found herself sitting in a small board room. With her were Fate, Chrono, Carim, Inspector Verossa, an elderly man Nanoha didn't recognise, and a man in a suit who was apparently Yuuno's attorney.

"My client has left his will in the form of a video." He said. "I shall play it for you now." The attorney pressed a button and a screen appeared.

"_Ah… are we recording now? Oh, ok."_

Nanoha choked on something when she heard the familiar voice and saw his face on screen. Fate gave Nanoha's hand a supportive squeeze.

"_So… uh…"_ Yuuno squirmed on screen. _"Well… I guess if you're watching this, that means I'm dead… Uh…"_ He scratched his cheek. _"I hope Chrono hasn't been insulting me too much."_

Chrono let out a brief snort.

"_Man, this is weirder than I thought it would be…"_ Yuuno went on. _"I suppose I'll just get to the point. The distribution of my assets. First, I leave all the patents under my name to the entire Scrya clan. Please use the royalties to further your own research."_

The old man in the room bowed his head solemnly. Nanoha would learn later that he was the chief of the tribe.

"_I leave half of the money in my bank account in the care of the Saint Church."_ The recording continued. _"Please distribute it to various charities as you see fit."_

This time it was Carim and Verossa who bowed.

"_And the other half of my money I leave to my best friends Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, and Chrono Harlaown. Please divide it evenly amongst yourselves. It's not much, but I hope it will help ensure that you and your children have bright futures."_

Nanoha didn't care about money. She wanted to have him back.

"_And… well, that's about it, really. I don't have much stuff to give away. I'll leave it up to the Bureau to find a replacement for me at the library. All that's left is to say goodbye… So, uh… goodbye."_ Yuuno paused and looked around awkwardly. _"I also want to say that, uh, Na…"_ His mouth shut and his head shook. _"No, forget it. That doesn't matter now. I hope everyone else has long and happy lives. I wouldn't want to see you again any time soon. Bye."_

The video winked off. The attorney then rose and passed out several cheques. He then led the Scrya leader out of the room to discuss the necessary paperwork. The others also prepared to leave, but Nanoha remained seated. She didn't even spare a glance at the paper before her. She was fixated on the spot where Yuuno's face disappeared.

"Nanoha, we should go." Fate said. Nanoha shook her head.

"I just want to sit here a bit…"

"Ok then. How about I go get you something to drink?" Fate exited the room to see her brother waiting for her.

"As expected, she's not handling this very well…" He uttered.

"… All I can think to do is be there for her and give her time…" Fate sighed.

"And how are you holding up, Fate?"

"I… I have to be fine." She said. "I need to be Nanoha's strength right now."

"That doesn't mean you have to hold it all in." He pulled his sister into a hug. Fate buried her face into his shirt and let the tears fall.

"It's not fair." She sobbed. "Why did Yuuno have to die? His job was supposed to be safer than ours! He was so kind and gentle. He didn't do anything to deserve this!"

Chrono hugged her tighter and cursed to himself as his eyes fogged over. 'You damn ferret. Why did you have to go and die on us?'

X-X-X

When Fate finally returned to the room with a glass of water, Nanoha was now staring at the table and the slip of paper on it.

"This… is a lot of money, isn't it?" The brunette muttered as Fate set down the glass. "And this is only a sixth of it… I had no idea Yuuno-kun had so much money…"

"Several artefacts he discovered were reverse engineered into commercial products." Fate explained as she took the seat next to her. "So he was paid royalties. There's also the money he got for consultations, guest lectures, appearing in documentaries, and his regular salary. Yuuno was a minimalist, so it piled up."

"I see… There sure were a lot of people today. I was so surprised." Nanoha went on. "Did you see them, Fate-chan? There was a famous actress, and a young billionaire… So many people that I didn't know… I didn't know at all…"

"Nanoha, don't…"

"I didn't know at all, Fate-chan!" Nanoha snapped. "Yuuno-kun had such a life and I didn't even know about it! Even though we've known each other for so long, I… I used to be so busy with work… but even when I went on leave I still didn't… The last time I spoke to him was… The last time I saw him was… Huh?" Nanoha stared down at her hands, a squiggle of a smile on her face. "Huh? I… I can't remember. Why? Why can't I remember the last time I saw him?" The waterworks started pouring again.

"Nanoha, stop it!" Fate pulled her friend into a fierce embrace. "Don't do this to yourself!"

"I didn't know!" Nanoha sobbed. "I didn't know him at all! I don't know anything about Yuuno-kun! I've known him for so long, so I thought I knew, but I didn't! I… I was such a horrible friend!"

"Don't say that Nanoha." Fate begged. "It's not true!"

"It's too late!" The other girl continued to sob. "There are so many things I want to talk to him about, but I can't! He's… He's… dead! Yuuno-kun is dead!"

At the moment, that single truth was her entire world.

X-X-X

The shadow of a man loomed over the city below. He studied the area from his perch atop a skyscraper.

"This world is so nice." He mused. "It's going to be so much fun destroying it."

* * *

So I decided to give writing an epic storyline a shot. To be honest, as a character, I think Nanoha has reached her end in terms of development. I think only something really drastic could get any more out of her. That's why I'm taking a page out of Tomino's book. I hope this chapter invokes feelings of sadness in you, cuz that's the point.

... Or I guess you could just be happy that I got rid of the ferret :/


	2. Chapter 2

Well, apparently I must offer some explanations, which is sure to be annoying for all of us. I'll try to keep it brief.

Firstly, I have never participated in gay bashing. Never. How anyone can think that I have when I've written fics with the message that there was nothing wrong with being homosexual is beyond me. Sure, I openly bash My HiME's Shizuru, but that's not because she's gay. It's because she's a psycho, murdering, bitch who didn't get what she deserved.

One thing you must understand about me is that I don't think NanoFate is canon. As such, by pairing them with guys, to me, I am not particularly going against canon. That's not to say I think that Nanoha and Fate's bond isn't as strong. I just interpret the nature of their relationship to be a platonic one. To use an analogy, it's like looking at a glass of water. We can agree that the glass is filled to the top, however, I think the glass contains regular water, where as you may think the glass holds flavoured water.

Now, I don't want you all charging at me going "It is canon because of this, this, and this!" You'll just be wasting my time and your's. If BPHaru can't convert me, you probably can't either. I've heard it all before. Only the word of God (ie, Seven Arcs) will affect my opinion. So, for example, I consider Fate's status to be Vivio's godparent, because that's what Fate herself said she was.

So, you may look at some of the stuff I have Nanoha and Fate do with each other in this fic and think I'm having them be a couple. Just keep in mind that I don't consider that stuff to be strange things for really close friends to do.

Could they grow beyond that over the course of the fic? Maybe. Could this be a pairingless fic? Perhaps. I'm not going to spoil my own story. I would also like readers to decide to read because the story interests them, not just because of the pairing involved (if there is one).

That brings me to another issue that a certain some one keeps insisting on. She says that readers will be very hurt and feel bad if the story doesn't turn out the way they think it should. As such, I have to warn them ahead of time by saying the pairing so they know to avoid it. I find it infinitely amusing that this person is the one who will read my clearly marked non-NanoFate fics anyways, and then come whining to me about how hurt she is. I just can't win, can I?

Yes, I'm aware I'm in the minority. However, I'm not going to alter a story for the sake of fan pandering. I hate when professionals do it, but I understand they have money to make. Writing fanfiction, though, is not a business. I'm not going to be cancelled if I don't get a certain approval rating. However, I don't mind the occasional fanservice, as you can see in my other fics.

TL;DR, If you're the kind of person who feels bad when they don't get their way, don't read this fic until it's done and you know how it turns out. Then you can decide if it's to your liking or not. For those who will stop reading because they think I'm an idiot, feel free to do so. For those who like reading and can accept whatever twists are presented to you, please enjoy.

This chapter was originally twice as long, so I split it in two. I'll post the next one in a few days.

* * *

All mad scientist and inmate Jail Scaglietti had were his books. Being locked up in an orbital prison left him with no freedom, and lots of time. So he read. A lot. He read anything he could get his hands on. Historic texts, adventure novels, pop-up books. The book cart he had access to certainly didn't have much in terms of selection. Thankfully, the few of his creations that retained a certain fondness for him would gift him with reading material.

After reading a certain book by a man named Harris, Jail took to offering his assistance to his captors. Being a criminal master mind, he could contribute a lot of helpful insight for the investigators that visited him. Aside from the occasional exception, all he asked for in return were more books. He had amassed quite the collection over the years. He wondered just how many he could read before his life sentence was up.

"Isn't this a cozy place?"

Jail peeked over his romance novel about vampires at his unexpected visitor. There had been no announcement of anyone arriving. Judging from the stranger's attire, however, it was a safe bet that he would never get clearance.

His body was covered by the cylinder of a black mantle that hung from his shoulders. His head was covered with a sleek, ebony helmet. The only skin that showed was his lopsided grin.

"A little early for Halloween, isn't it?" Jail quipped, sliding his bookmark into place. The stranger looked down at himself.

"What, you don't like it?" He asked. "I think it looks cool. It adds an air of mystery at least, doesn't it?"

Jail ignored the question. "I won't bother asking how you got in here. So, who are you, and what do you want with me?"

"To thank you, for one." The man said. "You got rid of that pesky ship for me, and now I'm free."

"So that's who you are… I see…" Jail nodded sagely. "So, what are you planning to do now?"

"Take over the world."

"Of course!"

"Hey, I'm evil. What else would I do? Well, I could try for Instrumentality, but that's too messy."

"And? What do you need from me?"

"I need mooks."

"Excuse me?"

"You know, mooks. Cannon fodder. Random lackeys whose only purposes are to be taken out by the good guys. Every evil overlord needs them. The little girl with the exploding zombies is asleep, so I can't use her. I can bust you out of here and we'll get to work."

"Sorry." Jail said, opening up his book. "I'm not interested. I actually kind of like it here. I cannot, in good conscience, help you out."

"I see." The man made to leave, but turned back again. "Can you recommend some one who will?"

Jail looked up from his book again. "Yes."

X-X-X

"**Time to wake up, sir."**

Fate stirred at the sound of her device's voice. She groaned and sat up, or she attempted to, at least. A familiar pressure was present around her waist. She looked down to see that, once again, Nanoha and latched onto her in her sleep. The brunette's arms had a firm hold.

It had been a week since Yuuno's funeral. Nanoha may have stopped crying constantly, but the woman was still incredibly listless. She could barely drag herself out of bed, and when she managed that, she mostly just stared into space.

Fate had put in for leave time. She couldn't let Nanoha be alone in that state. The other girl had begged Fate to stay as well. She had just lost Yuuno; she couldn't bear to lose Fate too.

Fate knew that it wasn't just the grief eating at her friend. There was also the regret that Nanoha hadn't been as close to Yuuno as she thought she had been. She would never have a chance to fix that.

Sometimes, she would call out the boy's name in her sleep.

Fate pried away the vice grip, and noticed that Vivio wasn't in the large bed with them. The little girl must have already woken up. She might have only known Yuuno for a short time, but the child had been rather fond of him. Vivio had the occasional melancholic bout, but she tried to keep up a cheerful demeanour. She said she knew Yuuno would want her to be happy.

Fate kept a similar mindset. She missed her friend greatly, but knew he wouldn't be pleased if she dwelled on it. She would live on and do his share as well.

She glanced at the calendar and noticed the big red circle on the day's date. Fate recalled what it meant and realised that was why Vivio had gotten up early.

"Nanoha, wake up." She nudged the sleeping girl. Nanoha just moaned and turned away. "Wake up, Nanoha. Today's the day you were going to show Vivio and her class around the training center, remember?"

"That was today?" The brunette muttered into the sheets.

"She's been looking forward to this all month." Fate said as she started changing. "Besides, you need to go out. This should be just the thing to cheer you up."

"Maybe…" When Nanoha mustered the strength to lift her head, she saw that Fate had changed into her uniform. "Are you going out on business?" She asked with a hint of dread in her voice.

"I just have a few errands to run." Fate said. "Don't worry, I'm not going into the field. I feel really bad dumping my caseload on Teana. The least I can do is help with some of the administrative tasks."

"Ok…" Nanoha sat upright. She didn't move again until several moments later.

"I'll meet up with you and Vivio when I'm done." Fate placed her hands on Nanoha's shoulders. "All right?"

Nanoha leaned forward and rested her face against Fate's middle. "I'm sorry for being a burden. I hate knowing I'm just worrying you all, but I just…"

"It's ok, Nanoha." She held her a moment. "I understand. Take all the time you need." Fate backed away and headed to the door. "Hurry up and get ready or else you'll be late. I'll see you later."

"Have a safe trip." Nanoha waved weakly. When Fate was gone, Nanoha made her way over to the mirror. She looked about as miserable as she felt. She had been sleeping a lot, but her eyes still had a faint ring of purple around them. Her frazzled hair appeared to be having an argument over which direction to stick out in. Nanoha couldn't remember when she last brushed it. She picked up her brush and forced an agreement.

She knew she was being pathetic. She knew she was just dragging down those around her. Vivio's smiles haven't been reaching the ends of her eyes, and Fate was being kept away from work. Her parents, siblings, and the rest of her friends called her almost every day even though they had busy lives of their own. She wanted to be able to at least fake a smile for them, but she was unable to. She just felt so hollow inside.

Even Subaru had tried to console her. The blue haired girl had told Nanoha about how devastated she was when her mom died. She would cry non-stop, but knowing that her father and sister were there for her helped her through it. She assured Nanoha that she wasn't alone.

Yes, Nanoha was well aware of that. She was grateful to Fate, Vivio, and everyone else for their love and kindness. It really did warm her heart, but… her heart felt like a hole had been bored into it. It was like she was missing something important.

Yuuno had been a constant figure in her life. They had been friends since they were kids, and he had helped her in so many ways. She thought he'd always be there, but now he wasn't. What was worse is that it was as if he had never really been there in the first place.

Setting her hair in order, Nanoha reached for the ribbon she always used to tie it off. Her hand twitched when she touched it. A memory flooded her senses.

"_Ah! Yuuno-kun, your hair is getting long."_

"_I know, but I've been so busy I haven't had the chance to cut it. It really gets in the way sometimes."_

_Nanoha thought for a moment. "Oh, I know!" She reached up to one of her twin tails and pulled out the ribbon. She went behind Yuuno and drew together his hair. She used the ribbon to tie it off at the base of his neck. "There, that should do the trick!"_

_Yuuno put his hand to his new ponytail. "T-Thanks. But Nanoha, now your hair is all loose on one side."_

"_Hm…" Nanoha pondered again. She pulled out her other ribbon and gathered all her hair together at the side of her head. "How does this look?"_

"_It looks great. It really suits you." The boy replied. She smiled at his approval._

"_Then it's settled." She retied her hair in the side tail that she would always use thereafter._

"Something like that did happen, didn't it?" She said sadly. If he still used it, that would mean her ribbon's twin was now under miles of rubble with Yuuno's crushed bo…

Nanoha shook her head violently and rubbed at the few tears that had fallen. She couldn't think of that. She was going to spend the day with her daughter and her class. Yuuno would want her to put her grief away and enjoy herself, wouldn't he?

She honestly didn't know anymore.

The ribbon in her hand suddenly felt so heavy. She put it in her drawer and used a different one in her hair. She donned her uniform and went downstairs to where her daughter was waiting.

"Good morning, mama." Vivio said cautiously. "How are you feeling today?"

"Good morning Vivio." Nanoha responded. "I'm… okay."

"If you're not feeling well you can stay home." The little girl suggested. "My class will understand…"

"No." Nanoha shook her head. "I made a commitment, and I'm going to honour it. I'm sure we'll have lots of fun today." She managed the biggest smile she had given in a week. Vivio considered her mama a moment.

"Okay! Then let's hurry! I made breakfast!" Vivio took Nanoha's hand and brought her into the kitchen.

X-X-X

"Ok class, please settle down." The teacher informed her students. The kids tore their eyes away from the giant building that was the headquarters of the TSAB combat instructors. They gave their teacher their attention.

"As I'm sure you all know," The teacher went on. "This is the place where those who teach aspiring young mages gather. This is a government run building, so I expect you all to be on your best behaviour."

"Yes, m'am!" The kids responded in unison.

"Ok then. Let's let our guide for today introduce herself."

"Hi, everyone." Nanoha said. "I'm Instructor Nanoha Takamachi. Some of you already know me as Vivio's mother. Today I'm going to be showing you around where I usually work." Of course there were areas the Bureau prohibited her from talking about, but she intended to give the children the fullest experience she could. "Now, let's all go inside and we'll get started!"

X-X-X

"I'm really sorry for having you do all this, Teana." Fate apologised to the girl on the screen.

"Don't worry about it, Fate-san." The other Enforcer replied. "I understand you have issues of your own."

"Still… I filled out all the necessary forms for you. I also called in a few favours. You should have no problem getting through the red tape. If you do, Shari will handle it for you."

"I appreciate it." Teana paused a moment. "So how is she doing?"

"A little better, I think. She should be at the training center by now. Vivio's class is there on a fieldtrip."

"I see… It was hard for me, losing my brother, so I understand what she's going through."

Fate nodded. "Subaru came over the other day and had a talk with her. That helped a lot. Thank her for me the next time you see her."

"Will do."

"Thanks again, Teana."

"You're welcome, Fate-san."

Fate ended the transmission and prepared to leave. She would probably make it for the second half of the tour if she hurried.

"Fate-chan." Hayate's voice stopped her.

"Hayate. How are you?"

"I've been better." The shorter girl huffed. "Join me for tea, Fate-chan. I have something to talk to you about."

Fate didn't dare refuse. When Hayate had that flat expression on her face, it meant something serious was going down. They took their tea in Hayate's office.

"First, I want you to look at this report." Hayate took out a folder and handed it to her friend. Fate opened it and read the contents.

"An unknown dimensional disturbance…" Fate looked up, aghast. "Wait, these coordinates are…!"

"That's right." Hayate nodded. "That area has never been that stable, but this is definitely suspicious. We can't be sure of what this actually means, though." Hayate handed over another folder. She continued while Fate read. "Since then, there have been raids at several factories. Machinery and supplies were both taken. Not small amounts, either. We're talking about whole assembly lines gone missing. Entire storehouses of metal plates have vanished."

Fate nodded along, following the report. "But how are these connected?"

Hayate passed her another folder. "A few days ago, a small, backwater outpost was attacked. The attacker is pictured there."

Fate studied the photo. What was pictured was a machine, no doubt about that. It had the shape of a man, but was otherwise featureless. Its entire body was a smooth, metallic grey. From its back spouted two straight edges, undoubtedly wings.

"It was a surprise attack, but the mages on duty were able to chase it off." Hayate went on. "They noted that the armour could take some punishment, but it was otherwise weak and used basic attack patterns."

"What does all this mean, Hayate?" Fate asked cautiously.

"I imagine the missing equipment was used to build this machine. Other than that… I honestly have no idea. Maybe I'm just being paranoid, but…" Hayate's gaze fell a bit. "But after losing Yuuno-kun so suddenly, and then all this weird stuff going on… I have a gut feeling something's about to happen."

Fate nodded. She was beginning to feel something was amiss too.

"Keep on your toes, Fate-chan." The special investigator warned. "Keep an eye on Nanoha-chan, too. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Fate nodded a thanks and made long strides to the door. Something told her to get to Nanoha and Vivio, fast.

X-X-X

The children watched in awe as they saw a mock battle in progress. The trainees made several unsuccessful attempts to attack their instructor. The instructor, an older man by the name of Balgus, would side step wild charges, and parry away staff swings.

"This is about normal for a mock battle." Nanoha explained. "There's an obvious difference in strength and experience between a trainer and their students. That's why the trainees only need to land one blow. But that's not so easy, as you can see."

The children giggled as Balgus casually outstretched a foot, causing a trainee to trip and fall on his face. A loud buzzer sounded.

"What does that sound mean?" One boy asked.

"It means that time's up." Nanoha explained. "The trainees couldn't get a hit in. Knowing Mr Balgus, they'll be on toilet duty for the rest of the week as punishment."

The kids giggled again, prompting Nanoha's smile to widen a little more. This really was making her feel a lot better.

"Next I'll show you where we test out all the new technology." Nanoha held a finger up to her lips. "Some of it is top secret, so be sure not to tell anyone!"

"We won't!" The students promised. None of them could remain still after hearing they would get to see something top secret.

"Wow, Vivio! Your mom's so awesome!" Vivio's friend Rio whispered.

"Yeah, she is!" Vivio agreed.

"She seems different from when I last met her…" Vivio's other friend, Corona, noted. "She doesn't seem as energetic."

"One of her friends died last week." Vivio's smile disappeared. "She's still really sad about it."

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that…" Corona looked down. Rio didn't know how to handle the gloomy atmosphere. She laughed nervously.

"Um… well…" She grabbed her friends' hands and pulled them along. "Come on! If we fall behind, we won't be able to see all the top secret stuff!"

"Ok, behind this door is the test range." Nanoha said. "We try out new devices and other gadgets that the Research and Development department come up with. We test their strengths, weaknesses, efficiency, and over all safety. We master their use so we can teach others how to wield them properly." Nanoha turned to the door and punched in her code.

Another buzzer began wailing, this time with the accompaniment of flashing red lights. Nanoha looked up in surprise.

"What does that sound mean?" The boy from before asked.

"It means…" A loud boom rumbled through the building. The structure convulsed, causing a few kids to lose their footing. "… We're under attack."

"I-Instructor." The school teacher asked shakily. "No one told me about this… demonstration!"

"I'm afraid this isn't a drill. We have to get the kids to the emergency shelter. Let's go."


	3. Chapter 3

To 'darkvalk': Heh, you can't fool me, BPHaru. I know that's you. I only ever mentioned identifying with Yuuno in a PM to you, not in public. Just because I blocked you doesn't mean you have to use such a round-about method. Besides, if you actually tried something that wasn't NanoFate, you'd know that Teana is the character I identify with the most. Also, you say that as if identifying with a character is a bad thing. Being able to do so is the sign of a well written cast. Yeah, I identify with Yuuno, and I identify with Nanoha, Fate, Hayate, Subaru, and the others as well. So I'm using myself to get with... myself? That would be weird. No, Yuuno has never been a self insert character. I'm far more forward than him. If I were to self insert, I'd go the whole nine yards with an OC that shared my name and everything.

No, I've never at any point in time said that I hated yuri in my profile. You must be thinking of some one else. I've said that I don't prefer it, but that's all. It's no different from yuri fans not prefering het. Besides, if I hated yuri, do you think I would include it in any of my stories?

Yeah, Nanoha, Fate, and Vivio are a family. But you know, 'family' is a tricky word. It means different things to different people. Some consider family to just be blood relatives. Some consider anyone they're close to as family. Just because I say they're family, doesn't mean I'm talking in the sense of "a couple and their child." Oh, and godparents can have legal obligations to a child, so in terms of paperwork, she would be a legal guardian, yes.

As for my other fics, their status as friends is already established in the show. And it's clear that Yuuno has a thing for Nanoha. And I established why Fate likes Yuuno in my other fic. My fics usually focus on an event that kicks the relationship above friendship. Friends can turn into lovers very easily. Naturally, this applies to Nanoha and Fate as well. I've never cared if others bashed my work. I just wish they wouldn't hide behind anonymous reviews. Have the guts to sign in to flame. Come to think of it, there's a way to force that, isn't there? Anyways, Haru, you've always tried to convince me that my work is horrible and that no one likes it. But you know what? There are people who do like what I do. They think I do a good job, and that I do keep everyone in character. Who to believe? Well, other than myself, it's those people who I write for.

Anyways, my previous note was mostly to establish that while I may have stuff like Nanoha and Fate sleeping in the same bed, it's not because they're lovers at this point in time. It was to establish context so people wouldn't prematurely jump to certain conclusions. It may have driven away readers who can't accept that, but those who remain prove to be flexable individuals who can adapt to another's point of view. They should be able to enjoy themselves. Remember, I'm here to have fun just like the rest of you.

* * *

Fate could see the flashes from the road. She'd recognise the brilliance of magic blasts any day. They definitely originated in the direction of the training center. She made a hard turn onto the shoulder and jumped out of her car. "Bardiche!"

"**Set up."**

Fate flew into the air, ready for battle. She reached the combat zone at top speed. On one side was the robot that Hayate had talked about, only it wasn't alone. There were hundreds of them, spread out like a metal wall. They all fired yellow energy balls from their hands towards the building. There, an increasing number of mages blocked the blasts and fired back their own. The center had taken a few hits, but the damage was minimal. Fate was certain that Nanoha would get the children to safety. She just prayed that Nanoha herself wouldn't try to jump into the battle. Not with her health the way it was.

'_Nanoha, can you hear me?'_ Fate called out mentally.

'_Fate-chan, you're here!'_ Fate was relieved to hear the reply.

'_Where are you right now?'_

'_In the shelter with the students. We're all fine here. What's going on outside?'_

'_We're under attack by unknown robots. The training corps is engaging them in battle. I'm about to assist.'_

'_Fate-chan, don't, I'll…'_

'_You stay there and protect Vivio and the others.'_ Fate ordered softly. _'Don't worry about me. Nothing is going to happen.'_

'…_Ok. Please be careful.'_

Fate joined up with the defending forces and asked who was in command. She was directed to the man named Balgus.

"Thanks for the assistance, Enforcer." He said. "We may be ok right now, but… I don't like this. It's too easy."

"Similar machines were sighted before." Fate explained. "They were also described as being weak."

"They certainly have numbers on their side, though. If we let down our defences, we'll get pounded repeatedly."

"I'll fly in and attack directly." Fate declared.

"Ok, we'll back you up." Balgus barked at some mages. The mages gathered around Fate.

"Let's go." Fate said, flying at the enemy.

"**Haken form."**

Bardiche turned into its scythe mode as Fate swung him down at one of the machines. The robot didn't even notice her before she sliced it in two. A neighbouring enemy saw her, an energy sword appearing from the back of its wrist. That's as far as it got before Fate spun around and split it at the waist. Fate moved on to the next before the previous two exploded.

Fate knew she was fast, but the machine's reaction time was still way too slow. She saw the other mages take down their foes with similar ease. They were this weak, yet they attacked the place where the most skilled of mages gathered? It didn't make any sense.

There had to be more to it…

X-X-X

"Raising Heart, what's going on?"

"**The number of enemies is decreasing, my master. All available combat mages are currently engaging."**

Raising Heart had accessed the shelter's computer terminal. She used it to tap into the building's security network to monitor the situation.

"Looks like everything will be fine." Nanoha sighed in relief. She turned back to the others. "Don't worry everyone. It'll be over soon, I'm sure." Most of the children seemed to be excited rather than scared.

"**Master, I am detecting an intruder."**

"An intruder? Where?"

"**Sector seven."**

"That's the area furthest away from the attack… Show me the camera feed."

Nanoha saw a flash of black leave the screen before the image turned to static.

"What was that?" She pondered. "There's nothing in Sector Seven other than… The database!" The giant super computer held all of the center's data. From meal schedules all the way to schematics of experimental devices, it was all there. "Then that attack is just a diversion isn't it? Raising Heart, open the door."

"**Master?"**

"Everyone is too busy fighting outside. I'll go stop the intruder myself."

"**But master…"**

"Mama, where are you going?" Vivio looked up as she tugged on her mother's skirt.

"Vivio, I have to go and fight." She answered, lowering herself to Vivio's eye level.

"But if you use your magic…"

"I'll be fine if I just use the basic shooting mode. You have to stay here and look after everyone else, Vivio."

"But…"

"I promise I'll be fine. If it gets too dangerous, I'll run away."

Vivio looked at Nanoha sceptically. She didn't consider her mama to be some one who would ever run away. However, she knew her mama would go no matter what. The child could only stare blankly as the door closed behind the woman who had become her parent.

"It's been awhile, but here we go, Raising Heart." Nanoha said to the gem as she ran down the hall.

"**Are you sure, my master?"**

"Yes, I'm sure. Set up!" Her body became pink light, which disappeared in a brilliant flash. In its place, Nanoha wore her barrier jacket, her hair now split into twin tails. She looked down at Raising Heart, now in its staff form. The device was in its most basic of forms, the one Nanoha first used as a child.

Wings of light appeared on her feet and she flew the rest of the way. She saw that the entrance to the huge server room was open. A cloak clad figure stood before the main monitor.

"Stop what you're doing and turn around slowly." Nanoha warned, holding up her staff. "If not, I'll have no choice but to use force."

"Hm?" The figure's masked face looked over his shoulder. "And here I thought everyone was either fighting outside or hiding in the shelter. Well, it would be boring if my plan went too perfectly."

"So you're the mastermind behind this? What is your goal?"

"If I told you that, it would ruin the surprise."

"Turn around with your hands up." Nanoha warned again.

"Why should I? Is it because you have a weapon to my back?"

Nanoha didn't blink, but she still missed it. The figure had vanished.

"But now I'm the one who is behind you!"

Nanoha felt the foot dig into her back. She was launched forward and slammed into the opposite wall. She coughed on the breath she swallowed and go to her feet, her barrier jacket having absorbed most of the damage.

"Mages these days." The man's face was suddenly inches away from her own. An armour clad fist shot out of the cloak. The uppercut connected with her stomach and sent her up into the ceiling. "You always issue a warning first. What happened to your killer instinct? You'd all have been slaughtered during the war." He jumped up after her, preparing another punch. Nanoha managed to fly out of the way, avoiding the blow which blew away part of the ceiling.

Nanoha aimed at her foe, but he was gone once again.

"**Protection!"** Raising Heart called, automatically throwing up a shield to Nanoha's left. The armoured knee blow bounced off.

"Hm, not bad. Not bad. But I some how expected more from the famous Ace of Aces."

"Who are you?" Nanoha panted. He was good. At her current level, she was no match.

"Hm, maybe I'll tell you if you can put up a better fight." He assumed a stance. "I suggest you go all out. Back in the good old days of Belka, I had no equal."

Nanoha gripped her staff. How was she going to handle this?

X-X-X

Vivio sat restlessly next to Rio and Corona. Her mama had been gone far too long for her liking. What if something happened to her? She thought of the reassuring smile Nanoha had given as she closed the door. Something about this whole thing had some strange feeling stirring in the pit of her stomach.

What if she never came back? What if she went away forever like Yuuno-san had?

Vivio couldn't bear it. She shot to her feet and ran to the door.

"Vivio, what are you doing?" Her friends and teacher cried.

"I have to go find mama!" She declared, hitting the door release button. She ran as fast as her little legs could carry her.

X-X-X

Nanoha barely managed to dodge each blow. The strikes came like thunder, coming dangerously close to its mark each time. She was so busy defending she could barely spare anything for offense.

"Come on, is that the best you got? I thought you were the great Nanoha Takamachi. I'm going to crush your skull at this rate." The man kept goading her. Aside from the black, all she could see was his cocky smirk.

Nanoha just had to hold out until the forces outside were finished and she could get some back up. She would wear him down a bit by then. It seems he hadn't noticed her plan yet. She had to keep his attention on attacking her body.

"Ah, this is boring." He huffed when an axe kick left his foot buried in the floor. "Try to fight back at least!"

"How about this? Shoot!"

The man looked around and finally saw the tiny orbs of light that Nanoha had released around the room. They were small, but there was a lot of them. They all shot forward towards him and collided. A plume of dust kicked up as a result.

"**Direct hit, my master."**

However, when the dust cleared, the man stood there, unharmed. Surrounding him was a glowing dome. "I really need to pay more attention to my surroundings." He said in a disinterested tone.

"A barrier…" Nanoha muttered. She didn't expect he'd be able to throw one up so quickly.

"Nice try, though." The man dashed forward before Nanoha could react. He raised his knee into her gut, lifting her off the ground. He then grabbed the back of her head and slammed her face into the floor. "But I guess a Mid style mage like yourself is just no good in close quarters combat." He reached down and pulled her up by the neck. Nanoha's feet dangled inches above the floor and his hand slowly crushed her windpipe.

"I wanted to have more fun with you, but it's a shame." He grinned. "I need to do what I came here for before my mooks are completely wiped out. Bye bye."

Nanoha could feel her consciousness slipping away. Was this really the end of her? Was she going to leave Vivio, Fate, and everyone else behind? Was she going to see Yuuno again?

"Mama!" The scream pierced through Nanoha's daze. From the corner of her eye she could see her daughter standing in the doorway.

"Vi… vi… o… run…" Nanoha squeezed out. If this monster laid a hand on her daughter…

To her surprise, Nanoha found air returning to her lungs. The grip around her neck had loosened. She looked down to see the man's mouth hanging open.

"Vii…" Was what escaped his lips.

Nanoha used the chance to bring up her legs and kick off the man's chest. The force knocked his hand away, and Nanoha flipped back, landing on her feet. She breathed heavily as she stood between her foe and her loved one.

The man scowled at his lapse. "No. You're just that cheap copy, aren't you?" He spat. "Well, I guess I have you to thank in part for my release, little girl."

"What are you talking about?" Nanoha wheezed.

"I was stuck under the Cradle of the Saint King." He explained. "Only those with Saint Kaiser blood can move it."

Something clicked in Nanoha's brain. "So you're saying…"

"Well, whatever. You've ruined my mood." The man snapped his fingers. Nanoha couldn't move before the bands of light wrapped around her. "You just say there quietly and watch." He moved over to the database's consol and activated it.

"**Please enter your ID." **Came a feminine voice.

The man reached into his cloak and pulled out a card, which he then swiped through the reader.

"**ID verified. Welcome."**

"Copy all combat data and upload it to this address." He keyed something in.

"**Acknowledged. Uploading now… Upload, complete."**

"Wow that was fast. Would have taken hours back in my day. You get all that Doc?" he spoke to no one present. "… Good. Relay it to all the mooks."

X-X-X

Fate blasted away her twentieth robot. "How can there be so many? Did all these really get built in such a short time?" Fate flew towards another target, and brought down her scythe.

This time, the robot spun to the side. It dropped altitude and then ascended in a curve. Now above her, the machine fired a blast. In her surprise, Fate barely dodged it. She recognised that manoeuvre.

"Evasive pattern Alpha Three?" She gasped. She saw another robot charge her from the side. She moved out of the way, but when she did, a second robot appeared from behind the first. She flew over it, only to be greeted by yet another machine. Fate summoned a shield, and the robot smashed into it. The impact knocked Fate back.

"And that was attack pattern JSA!" She gaped. Their enemies were now all using Bureau taught tactics. The robots had been like amateurs before, but now it was as if they had the combat experience of a veteran. What was going on?

X-X-X

"There we go." The man in black grinned. "Now they don't suck so much. Thanks a bunch Ms Computer. You can shut off now."

"**Acknowledged. Please have a nice day Scrya, Professor Yuuno."**

Nanoha's eyes widened. "Y-You… What did it just say? That… That ID!"

The man held up the card he had used. "Oh, this thing?" He said idly. "Just a little something I got from the poor sap who freed me." He laughed. "You should have seen the look on his face when he found me. I bet that's what Pandora looked like. Even after thousands of years, the Scryas are as stupid as always. Always poking their noses into things they shouldn't. How many disasters like me have they unleashed over the ages?"

Nanoha's expression was hidden by her bangs. Her grip tightened until her device clattered from the vibration. "So, the explosion at the dig site…" Her voice trembled. "That was you? The one who killed Yuuno-kun was…"

"I guess you knew him. Pitty what happened to him, but I will never forget the sacrifice he made for my sake. Just remembering the way he screamed makes me grin like a fool." He did so. "But I'm not into guys. Hm... I bet the screams of that little girl behind you will be absolutely orgasmic."

"… Raising Heart." Nanoha said in a fierce whisper. "Exceed mode."

"**But master!"**

"I said Exceed mode!" She snapped.

"… **Exceed mode, set up."** Raising Heart's head changed into its more advanced form.

"Bind break." The bonds holding Nanoha shattered. The man looked amused.

"Looks like I touched a nerve." He chuckled. His grin grew as the woman looked at him with enraged eyes.

"You… You killed Yuuno-kun!" She shouted at him. "You won't touch Vivio! Load cartridge!"

"**Strike Flame." **Raising Heart spat out the empty casings and the pink spike extended from her head. Wings of light also appeared. The man was forced back by the burst of energy.

"Now we're talking! This is the White Devil I've heard so much about!" He said with glee. He outstretched one hand, calling forth a wall of light. Nanoha charged forward in another burst. The Strike Flame connected with the shield.

Nanoha gritted her teeth and had her device load more cartridges. Her forward momentum increased and the obstacle was penetrated.

"Excellion…"

The man threw out his other hand.

"… Buster!" The large beam fired from Raising Heart's tip. The blast engulfed the man and shot out through the wall on an upward angle. After it subsided, Nanoha's heavy breathing was all that could be heard.

"Mama!" Vivio called from the other side of the room.

"Don't move, Vivio!" Nanoha said. "Stay where it's safe!" She flew through the hole she had created and arrived outside.

The man in black was waiting for her in the air, unscathed.

"Colour me impressed." He applauded. "I almost couldn't block that. That wasn't your strongest attack either, right? I can't wait to see what else you can do."

"Shut up!" Nanoha glared. "I won't forgive you for what you did to Yuuno-kun, or for threatening Vivio!"

"I don't particularly want your forgiveness anyways." He assumed his stance again. "Ready for round tw…" He was cut off by a yellow blast that passed over his head.

"Nanoha!" Fate called as she headed over. She had been alerted by that buster earlier.

"Tsk, three's a crowd." The man frowned. "Looks like we'll have to postpone our date."

"Wait!"

"I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of each other in the near future, Nanoha." He smirked. "My name is Volvo. Remember it." With a dramatic wave of his hand, he vanished.

"Get back here, you…!" Nanoha tried to follow.

"Nanoha!" Fate grabbed her arm. "What are you doing, using your…"

"Let go of me, Fate-chan!" Nanoha attempted to yank her arm free. "It was him! That guy… That guy!"

"Nanoha! Calm down!" Fate had never seen her friend so… frenzied before.

"He killed him! That bastard was the one who killed Yuuno-kun!" She screamed.

"What?" The surprise almost had her letting go, but Fate kept her grip. She wasn't going to let Nanoha dash off on her own in that state. "Nanoha, you have to settle down first!"

"That guy… He was going to…" She was cut off by her own violent cough. Fate was horrified when she saw red leak out from Nanoha's mouth. The brunette stopped struggling and would have plummeted to the ground if Fate hadn't been holding her up.

"Nanoha! Nanoha!"

Nanoha didn't register the sound of Fate's voice. She quickly slipped into oblivion.

* * *

There's a common question in the fandom: "If Nanoha treats people she likes like that, how would she treat some one she doesn't?" That's what I wanted to play around with. We all know what happened to Quattro, but that was after Nanoha had a chance to cool her head. I bet if she was present at Vivio's kidnapping, she'd have raged far harder than Erio did.

I usually use 'Raging Heart' because I think it sounds cooler, but while writing it I typed "Raising" without thinking. I figured I might as well stick with it. Nanoha does enough 'raging' herself anyways ;)

Volvo, obviously, comes from the automobile company of the same name. I think it sounds fittingly evil enough. If I had to pick a voice for him, it would definitely be Toshihiko Seki (My HiME's Reito, Gundam SEED's Rau). He can do both goofy and sinister. His voice makes me melt every time I hear it.


	4. Chapter 4

Well, I already did this via PM, but I feel I should publicly apologise to darkvalk as well. Upon looking back through my fics, I never said in any of the notes that I identified with Yuuno. I had only said so in a PM convo with BPHaru. As such, when an anonymous reviewer mentions as much, I immediately think it's the only person who knows such things. However, Haru had actually said it in one of her reviews, so the fact that I do identify with Yuuno is public knowledge. So, again, I'm sorry for jumping the gun on you, darkvalk.

Moving right along, this chapter is mostly just set up, introducing the characters I'll be using and whatnot. There's a lot of scene changes, and this is mostly due to my mental processing. I run stories through my head like episodes of anime, as such I use structure more fitting for visual medium rather than literature. That's just how I roll.

* * *

For being an evil overlord, her recently acquired partner sure was a slob. Upon entering his chambers, she saw his armour scattered across the floor. She nearly tripped over the helmet as she approached the man who was sprawled out on a couch, pressing at a button pad while he watched a screen.

"You should clean up your mess." She said.

"Whatever you say, mom." His red eye glanced up at the woman who preferred to veil her body with a hooded cloak. He'd rather she ditched it, as he considered her to be pretty good eye candy. He allowed it, though, because it did add to the atmosphere.

"So, what's up, Doc?" He asked, returning his gaze to the screen.

"The new batch of machines is ready." She said. "We can proceed with the next attack… At your leisure, of course."

"Quick work."

"The facilities here are quite amazing. The mass production process is going swiftly."

"This was my main stronghold during the war. We needed stuff by the bulk back then. That new stuff we stole helps out too… Hold on a sec… Hah! Eat lava you lizard! Now to get the princess and I'll… What do you mean she's in another castle? What the hell! This is worse than the time I got the Bad End because I didn't trigger enough flags! Entertainment has gotten so frustrating since I was sealed away."

Sometimes she wondered if he was serious about this taking over the world business. Well, so long as he held up his end of the bargain, she didn't care what he did.

"Screw this." Volvo tossed his controller aside. "How are the super mooks coming along?"

"They're in their last stages of development. Each has been built per your instructions."

"Wonderful." He rose and snapped his fingers. The armour on the floor disappeared and reappeared on his body. "Keep up the good work and your wish will soon become a reality."

"I'm counting on that."

"Well, it's time to make my world debut. Be sure to tape it for me."

X-X-X

When Nanoha surfaced from the abyss, she found herself in a setting that had become far too familiar to her over the years. Surrounding her was the stark white existence of a hospital room.

She immediately recalled the events prior. The fieldtrip, the attack…

That man.

Every glimmering black armour plate of him was clear in her mind. The way he had landed blows with ease, the way he would taunt her, the way he had so casually revealed that he had killed her friend, and threatened to do the same to her daughter.

She had recklessly attacked him, then. She had lost herself in her anger, something she had never done before. Fate had shown up, causing the man to leave. Volvo. That's what he said his name was.

"I see you've finally woken up, Nanoha-chan." Nanoha titled her head towards the woman with the short blonde hair.

"Shamal-san…" Nanoha sat up quickly. "The attack… What happened? Where's Vivio? Is everyone else all right?"

"Calm down." Shamal pushed on the girl's shoulders to make her lay back down. "Everyone's just fine. Vivio's right here." Nanoha looked down to see the girl's face resting on the bed. Vivio slept soundly. "She never left your side."

"I'm so glad…" Nanoha smiled softly, reaching down to pat her daughter's head. "How long have I been out?"

"Almost a day." Shamal said. "After the enemy retreated, Fate-chan brought you in."

"I see…" So that guy only wanted the data, nothing more. "Where is Fate-chan?"

"She's taking part in the investigation right now."

"Oh."

"I doubt I really have to explain what happened to you, but…" Shamal sighed as she pulled up a chair. "You pushed your body too much too quickly. The years you took off have helped your body recover substantially, but it couldn't handle the shock. You need to let it readjust to high levels of magic gradually."

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"Hayate-chan will want you to report what happened when she gets here." Shamal explained. "But just rest for now, ok?"

"Sorry, but there's no time for that. I'm already here." Hayate said as she walked in. "How are you feeling, Nanoha-chan?"

"I feel fine. It doesn't hurt or anything."

"That's good." Hayate also took a seat. "Now, what the heck happened out there? Fate-chan filled me in on some of it. Who was this guy that you were fighting?"

"He said his name was Volvo." Nanoha answered. "He… he was the one…" She squeezed her eyes shut to suppress her emotions and keep her composure. "From what he said, he's from ancient Belka. He was sealed away by the Cradle of the Saint Kaiser and freed when… Yuuno-kun found him."

"… So that's what you meant when you said he was the one who killed Yuuno-kun…" Hayate said, remembering what Fate had told her. Nanoha nodded in response.

"Yeah… He was quite pleased with himself about it. Said he was going to hurt Vivio next, so I…"

"Lost it." Hayate finished with a nod. "Why did he attack the training center in the first place?"

"He accessed the facility's database and took combat related data. Had some one named 'Doc' upload it to his 'mooks', as he called them."

"Those robots, huh…?" That would explain the reported increase in performance.

"I fought with him," Nanoha continued. "But he was strong. I managed to drive him back a little with Exceed mode, but…"

"Nanoha-chan." Hayate said sternly. "Here's the deal. I've been put in charge of this case. I'm debating whether or not to bring you in on this."

Nanoha sat up again. "Please, Hayate-chan! You have to let me help! I, for Yuuno-kun, I want…"

"Revenge?" Hayate cut in. "That's a word no one would have ever associated with you." Nanoha looked away like a child being scolded by her teacher.

"It's not that, but… I… I want to bring him to justice. I… I owe Yuuno-kun that much."

"Believe me when I say this Nanoha-chan, but you're not the only one." Hayate said. "Yuuno-kun was a good friend to all of us. We all want to see his killer taken down." Shamal nodded in agreement. "But I can't have you flying off the handle and putting yourself in danger."

"I promise that won't happen again." Nanoha met her friend's eyes. "Now that I've cooled my head, I won't lose control next time."

Hayate held her gaze for a beat before smiling. "That's all I needed to hear. Shamal will be coming as well to keep an eye on you."

"I'll help too!" The three adults looked down at the little girl who had woken up.

"It's too dangerous for you, Vivio." Nanoha said. "That guy might come after you and…"

"That bad man was hurting Nanoha-mama! He's also the one who hurt Yuuno-san, right? I'm going to help!" She insisted.

"I understand your feelings, Vivio." Hayate said calmly. "But how do you propose to help?"

"I am a librarian at the Infinity Library! I'll use what Yuuno-san taught me and research the bad guy."

"But Vivio…" Nanoha wanted to keep her daughter close to ensure her safety.

"That's a good idea." Hayate decided. "Bureau HQ is definitely the safest place to be. And learning all we can about this Volvo guy is a necessity."

"But…"

"It's ok, mama." Vivio said, taking Nanoha's hand. "I know this will help you, so I'll do it."

Nanoha was always amazed at how mature her daughter could be at times. Sometimes it wasn't clear who the child was. Nanoha finally nodded her consent.

"Don't worry, Nanoha-chan." Hayate said. "I'll arrange to have guards on her at all times."

"You don't have to do that." Vivio interjected. "I know just who to ask."

X-X-X

"I don't suppose we'll get lucky and find that whoever built these things wrote their names on them, will we?" Shari commented as she shifted through piles of scrap metal.

"Unfortunately, the only one who would do something like that is confirmed to still be in lock up." Fate noted, looking across the stretch of land she had been fighting on many hours before. "Then again, this Volvo character doesn't seem to care about being discreet."

"Well, these are pretty simple, all things considered." Shari said. "Equipment consisting only of a beam cutter and a blaster cannon, basic flight system… These really are nothing more than disposable tools meant for mass production. Quantity over quality. Heck, they don't even have paint jobs!"

"Well, even so. With all that data loaded into them, they're a force to be reckoned with." Fate was bothered by something. She couldn't explain it, but the feeling she got from these machines were somehow familiar.

"Excuse me, Fate-san." Fate turned to the new arrival. "Enforcer Teana Lanster, reporting for duty."

"I appreciate you coming." Fate smiled apologetically. "Sorry for dragging you into another case."

"Not at all." Teana shook her head. "This is a priority assignment. Besides, I wanted a chance to work under Commander Yagami again."

"Oh, so Teana being brought in too?" Shari clapped her hands together. "That's awesome! It's been such a long time since the three of us worked together!"

"I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot more familiar faces before this is over." Fate said. "We'll need all the help we can get."

And if she had to ask that man for help, she would.

X-X-X

"So you've recruited Teana as well." Nanoha said as she walked down the hallway with Hayate. After running a few tests, Shamal had given her the ok, so Nanoha didn't have to stay in the hospital.

"Yeah. I'm bringing in Subaru and Ginga as well. They were happy to accept. The environmental protection agency can't afford to spare Erio and Caro, though. The basilisks are laying their eggs, so it's prime season for poachers." Hayate explained. "Fate-chan was a little happy to hear that. I don't think she wanted those two to get involved this time."

"I agree." Nanoha nodded, frowning. "Having fought Volvo, I got a pretty firm grasp of his character. I don't think he'd show any mercy, no matter who his opponent was. He enjoyed inflicting pain. He may give off a carefree attitude, but that doesn't reflect his threat level."

"Well, I can't imagine some random push over being sealed by the Cradle… The main question now is what his next move will be."

"He might come after me." Nanoha suggested. "He said we'd be seeing each other again."

"We should probably put some guards on you too, in that case. At least until you go through the program Shamal gave you. You'll need to be at 100%."

"For that, I have a favour I need to ask Subaru and Ginga."

"Well, speak of the devil."

At that point they had reached the hospital lobby. There they saw Subaru talking with the nurse behind the counter, apparently asking for Nanoha's room number.

"Subaru!" Nanoha called. The blue haired girl's ear twitched and turned around. Her eyes lit up and she bounded over like a little puppy.

"Nanoha-san! Commander Yagami!" She greeted. "How are you feeling?" She addressed her idol.

"I'm doing just fine." Nanoha smiled. "Thanks for coming to visit."

"It's no problem at all."

"Ginga didn't come with you?" Hayate asked.

"Gin-nee went on ahead to the base."

"Which base?" Nanoha asked.

"The old Riot Force 6 building, of course." Hayate smiled. "Sure has been awhile since it last saw use."

"It's like Riot Force 6 has been re-established." Nanoha noted. Memories of that unit were a mix of fondness and bitter sweetness, but over all it was an unforgettable experience.

"It might as well be." Hayate laughed as they exited the hospital.

"Hayate-chan! Hayate-chan!" An urgent call rang from the mouth of a tiny girl that had flown up to them when they stepped outside.

"Rein, what's wrong?" Hayate asked quickly.

"The Saint Church is under attack!" The device cried.

X-X-X

Carim sat at her desk and watched through her monitor as her forces engaged the army of automatons that had amassed at the church's perimeter. The holy warriors had been briefed on the possible threat, but even armed with that knowledge, it was a tough fight. The enemy had the numerical advantage, and even if they were using text book attack patterns, the machines could use that info to predict the mages' movements as well.

"Knight Carim, you should evacuate to a safe place." Schach suggested. Aside from the two of them, present was also Verossa, Otto, and Deed.

"Have the non-combatants been moved?" The blonde ignored the suggestion.

"Sister Sein is moving Ixpellia." Rossa explained. "She's the last one."

"Good. All we have to do is hold our position until reinforcements from the Bureau arrive." Carim's steeled eyes looked at her monitor. "We won't let the enemy through."

"Boy, being able to teleport anywhere really makes things easier."

Before anyone could react to the sixth presence in the room, a chop connected with the back of Verossa's neck. The green haired man crumpled to the floor. Schach, Otto, and Deed moved to attack, but their foe threw his hand in their direction. They found themselves encased in a tight dome.

"What the?" The Sister managed to gasp. She went for her device, but Volvo's voice stopped her.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." He warned. "That barrier's not only keeping you in, but it's keeping the air out. If you don't struggle, I give you three five minutes before you suffocate." He whirled around to Carim. "So you're head of this snake?"

Carim grit her teeth. She wasn't expecting this surprise attack. Her skills were not of the combat variety. There was no way she could take this man on. She could only try to buy some time. Hopefully Shach could think of a way out. "How did you get in here?" She asked. "In order to teleport in, you'd need exact coordinates and the layout of this room to be able to do the necessary calculations."

"You have this thing called 'the internet' now." He answered plainly. "You can find just about anything on it…" He frowned. "Including pornography involving humanoid animals… Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people?"

"Just who are you, anyways? What do you want?"

"Hm, let's see…" Volvo rounded Carim's desk and met her face to face. "To you people who worship the Sankt Kaiser as a god, I would be the devil." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, I guess you could call me the Daemon Kaiser."

"Daemon Kaiser?"

"Yes, I like the sound of that." Volvo grinned. "As for what I want…" His eyes went up and down the woman that sat before him. The beauty stiffened as he ran a hand through her long, golden locks. "I guess my princess was in another castle… Ok, I've decided. I want you."

"Excuse me?" Carim blinked.

"That's right. How about we make a deal, Carim, I believe it is. If you come with me and order your people to retreat, I'll call off my grunts and let your subordinates here go unharmed. How's that sound?"

Carim glanced at the women in the barrier. The three of them were pounding their fists against it, their mouths moving but no noise escaping. Apparently the sound had been blocked out as well. The banging become increasingly weaker and their faces started becoming blue. There wasn't any time left.

"… Do I have your word that you'll set them free?" Carim asked.

"I swear on my pride as a king." He said, putting a hand over his chest for emphasis.

"Then I'll submit myself to you." Carim said, bowing her head.

"You're a smart woman who cares for those under her. I like you even more." Volvo snapped his fingers and the barrier disappeared. The three girls were on their knees, attempting to catch their breath.

"Carim!" Schach wheezed, getting to her feet. She assumed an attack stance.

"Schach, stand down. That's an order." Carim said. "Tell the others to retreat as well."

"But…"

"Go."

"If some one needs to be the hostage," Schach pleaded. "Use me instead!"

"Sorry. I'm not into short hair."

"Please, Schach." Carim whispered. "You have to take care of the others."

"… As you wish." Schach spat out. She despised herself for failing her mistress. She went over to Rossa and picked up his unconscious form. "Otto, Deed, let's go." The two cyborgs reluctantly made to leave.

"Oh, one more thing." Volvo said. His hand shot behind him, grabbing Sein by the collar as she jumped out of the floor. He casually flung the girl forward, where she was caught by her sisters. "Take her with you."

"Damn it!" Sein cursed as she was carried out. Volvo waved at her with a cheery grin. Carim glanced at her monitor again. She saw no signs of robots.

"See, I kept my word." He said. "But I have one more thing to do here."

"And what would that be?"

X-X-X

It took all of Hayate's will power not to hop in her car and speed off to the church. Carim and Verossa had become family to her over the years. She wanted to go help them, but rushing off without a strategy would be suicidal. She had to believe her brother and sister could handle themselves.

"Hayate-chan?" Nanoha put a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"They won't go down that easily." She said, mostly to herself. "Let's head back to base and get a report on the situation…"

Just then, a large view screen appeared in front of them. On it was a masked face that Nanoha would recognise anywhere.

"Volvo!"

"Ladies and gentleman of the universe." Volvo declared. "Don't change that channel! It won't do you any good anyways. I'm on all of them. My name is Volvo. Remember it, as it shall be the name you'll be cursing in the near future."

"Something's overridden the system!" Rein explained. "This broadcast is being received everywhere throughout Mid Childa!"

"You may choose to refer to me as the Daemon Kaiser if you wish." Volvo's address continued. "I am a man from the era of Belka. Though your history has no record of this, it was I who faced the mighty Saint Kaiser in battle, and it was I who killed her. I may have been sealed away afterwards, but now I'm back. For those of you who doubt my power, I'm actually talking to you all from the main office of the Saint Church, which I just gained control of mere moments ago."

The camera zoomed out to show him sitting behind a desk that Hayate knew belonged to Carim. She clenched her fist. "That bastard…"

"Next, I shall crush the Time Space Administration Bureau, thus cementing my kingship. I, who has surpassed your god, am certainly fit to rule you. Soon my reign of terror shall commence. Pray as much as you like. It won't help you while I make you suffer. I look forward to hearing your screams of horror. Bye bye."

With a grin, his image vanished.

* * *

I made up some excuse not to have Erio and Caro in there. It's not that I don't like them or anything, but the cast is big enough as it is. Just trying to keep things a little more manageable.

Basically what I'm trying to do with Volvo is have as much fun as possible. So far, it's working. I'm having a blast writing his antics. He was inspired by villains like the Dark Knight's Joker, and, more specifically, Ji Adel Banel, the final boss of Super Robot Wars Z. They're people who just have so much fun being total bastards. They may seem like goofs, but you know not to mess with them. Ji Adel's BGM 'Chimera' (youtube it) is really awesome. I usually listen to it when writing a chapter. Consider it Volvo's unofficial theme music.


	5. Side story: Shattered Dreams

The little tidbits of information dropped in the newest chapter of Vivid inspired me to write this fic. I originally posted this as a stand alone, but I decided to fold it back into this story because no one left a review and it bothered me that it was the only fic on my list that didn't have the red 'reviews' link next to it (yes, I get bothered by stupid visual things like that ^^"). It's just a little side story that takes a peek into the past.

* * *

Ingvalt had only one dream: to unite the world under one kingdom. He did not hold such a desire out of a thirst for power, no, it was all for the sake of peace. The land of Belka had always been one of conflict and death and Ingvalt wished to end this bloody history.

His methods called for even more bloodshed, but Ingvalt was well aware of this fact. He would shoulder that burden if it meant uniting all the countries into one. He felled one king after another, assimilating their land and people into his own. Those under Ingvalt's rule knew he was a benevolent leader, one who cared deeply for his people and desired to protect them above all. The conquered masses soon realised this, and few would rebel against their new emperor.

He was confident that he would be able to defeat those who opposed him, but before him had stood an opponent he could not strike down. She was the Saint King Olivie Segbert. Her beauty and skill were said to surpass all, and this proved to be true as Ingvalt was unable to best her in one on one combat. He was unbelievably frustrated afterwards, cursing fate for ending his dream so soon. He expected to face death then and there, but to his surprise instead of finishing him off, Olivie smiled and outstretched her hand. She said she understood the path he walked and wished to achieve the dream of peace along side him.

An alliance was thus formed between the two rulers, and Ingvalt found himself fighting side by side with many new powerful and trustworthy allies. More than ever before, his dream appeared to be within his grasp.

Above all, he had gained a much needed pillar of support. The blood on his hands were sometimes far too much to bear, but in these moments of weakness Olivie would rest a hand on his shoulder and assure him that what they did was for the good of all. Once everyone was united under a single banner, there would be no more foreign nations to wage war against. And that together, the two of them would rule justly over the united kingdom, ensuring that inner strife would not disturb the new found peace.

More so than himself, Ingvalt felt that it was Olivie who was necessary for this peace. He vowed that he would protect her from any harm, even at the cost of his own life.

The battle waged on, and at long last the only remaining independent land had been claimed. With that last battle, the world would finally be at peace.

… So why was this happening?

When Ingvalt arrived at the outpost, it was already engulfed in flames. The corpses of his soldiers were strewn about, the flesh roasted off their bones. In the middle of the carnage stood a lone figure, his armour painted with the blood of his victims. Ingvalt watched as the last of his men charged at the figure, who calmly side stepped the charge. He grabbed the soldier by the neck and twisted it with such force the head spun around four times before it fell to the ground.

"W-What is the meaning of this?!" Ingvalt demanded of the figure that turned towards him.

"Hey Ingvalt." He greeted with a smile. "How's it going?"

"You… What are you doing, Volvo?" Ingvalt stared in horror at his friend. He was some one that had fought along side him during many battles. He was a powerful and reliable comrade whose loyalty to Olivie even surpassed Ingvalt's own.

"That's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Volvo gestured to his surroundings. "I'm slaughtering everyone."

"But why? Why are you attacking our own men? The war is over! The dream we've fought so long and hard for has finally come true! So why…"

"Dream?" Volvo pondered. "Oh yeah, that dream. Conquering heaven and earth, was it? Uniting the world to bring about peace? That worthless dream?"

"Worthless?!"

"Have you given thought to what happens next?" Volvo asked. "What becomes of us now? Oh sure, you'll have a country to rule, but what about me? I'm a warrior whose only use is on the battlefield. If there are no enemies to fight, then there is no reason for me to exist."

"So for that reason you will start war anew?" Ingvalt gasped. "Even if not as a warrior, you are still important to Olivie!"

Volvo let out a boisterous laugh that made Ingvalt take a step back in shock. "Olivie? What does that woman care of my existence? How many have I slaughtered in her name, yet she does not even acknowledge me? What has my devotion won me? Nothing. All I have left is the joy I feel when I take a life. What use do I have of a peace that will rob me of even that? Indeed, I shall choose the joy of the slaughter over some mundane peace!"

"You have lost your mind, haven't you?"

"You could say that." Volvo's grin widened.

"Then I have no choice but to put an end to your madness right now!" Ingvalt assumed his battle stance.

"I was so hoping you'd try." Volvo also stood at the ready.

Ingvalt knew full well what his former friend was capable of. Many times had he seen Volvo wipe out entire regiments of enemy forces with his vicious and unrelenting fighting style. His power even surpassed that of Olivie, who had once confessed that she had never defeated him in a serious sparring match. She had erroneously gained the reputation of being the world's strongest only because Volvo wished for her to be seen that way.

This match would be over in a single blow, and Ingvalt was fully aware of that. He would have to make his strike count.

When the main building of the outpost finally collapsed after the flames ate away at its supports, the two warriors charged. They each threw out a fist as they passed each other, but neither stopped until they had switched positions. After a moment's pause, Volvo fell to one knee.

"Heh, you got me." Volvo chuckled as he held his blood seeping side. "But you're too soft, Ingvalt." He turned to the other man, who was laying face down in the blood soaked soil. "Hesitant to strike down some one you viewed as a friend?"

"I could say the same of you…" Ingvalt managed. "You could have killed me in one blow, but instead you've only rendered me immobile."

"Don't mistake that for an act of mercy for an old friend." Volvo rose, still holding his side. He walked over and stood above Ingvalt, looking down at him with a wicked grin. "I left you alive because I want to see the look on your face when I throw Olivie's severed head at your feet."

"You wouldn't dare!" Ingvalt's eyes bulged and he attempted to move, but his body wouldn't listen. "Olivie is your…"

"I can do with her as I please." Volvo snorted. "I've been with her long before you ever came into the picture, and I will be the last one who occupies her thoughts as I squeeze the vitality from her. So you just wait right there and I shall be back in a short while."

"No! Volvo! Stop!" Ingvalt's body still refused to cooperate with him. All he could do was watch as his foe headed off in the direction of the castle. "Move, accursed body of mine!" He pleaded. "We promised we would protect Olivie, did we not? We swore we would fight for her to our death! We cannot allow his wishes to come to pass!"

Ingvalt failed to move even the slightest distance from that spot. The pain assaulting his body was too great and eventually he felt his consciousness slip away, but before it did so the smiling image of the woman he longed for filled his vision. A single tear fell from his eyes as they closed.

Ingvalt did not know for how long he slept, but when he awoke the flames around him had died. Off in the distance he saw that the castle had sustained heavy damage and, discovering a degree of mobility restored, he slowly crawled to it. He crawled through the rubble and corpses that littered the remains of the castle town, and eventually reached where the castle gates were supposed to be. There he discovered that he was not the only one still alive.

"Lord Ingvalt!" A middle aged man ran to him. "You've survived, my lord!"

"You…" Ingvalt did not recognise the man, but knew of his garb. "You are from the clan Scrya, are you not? Tell me, what has happened here? Where is Olivie?!"

The Scrya man averted his gaze. "Lord Volvo attacked without warning, and Lady Olivie went to face him. It was a fierce battle, but it appeared that Lord Volvo had been wounded prior, so my lady was able to gain the upper hand. We managed to put him under a seal, but Lady Olivie insisted that it was not enough. She then moved the Cradle and buried him under it."

Ingvalt breathed a sigh of relief. "So he was defeated… Where is Olivie now?"

"Lady Olivie… I'm afraid that after moving the Cradle, she succumbed to her injuries."

"No, this cannot be! Tell me you jest!"

"I dare not jest of such things, my lord. I only speak the truth."

"Olivie…" He whispered her name as tears streaked down his cheeks. It was all over. The kingdom he had strived for had been destroyed, and the woman he vowed to protect was no more.

The once mighty emperor wept, filled with a powerful regret that would live on for generations to come.

* * *

I only had a little to actually go off of from the Vivid chapter. But the main stuff like Ingvalt's goal, his losing to Olivie, and his regret over losing his kindgom and some unspecified woman is in there.

Also, this does not mean Einhart will be appearing later in the fic. Ingvalt might get a mention, but otherwise I'm pretty much ignoring Vivid.


	6. Chapter 5

Hayate sat in her darkened office, fingers threaded in front of her face as she stared at her monitor. She had given strict instructions to be informed of any information regarding the Saint Church as soon as it was received. She didn't know how long she had waited, but she eventually got a call.

"Yagami speaking." She answered right away.

"Commander Yagami, this is Schach." The nun appeared on screen.

"Sister, you're all right." Hayate sighed in relief. "Where are you right now? What about the others?"

"I'm at a field hospital right now." She answered. "Verossa suffered a blow to the head and was knocked unconscious, but he'll be fine. Sisters Otto, Deed and Sein are here as well, but they're unharmed."

"What about Carim?" Hayate ventured cautiously. "Where is she?"

"I… I'm sorry." Schach hung her head. "I was unable to fulfil my duty and she was taken."

"Taken?"

"Yes… Otto, Deed and I were trapped and were running out of air… That's when Knight Carim made a deal with the man who attacked us. In exchange for letting us go unharmed, she surrendered herself to him… I… I failed her. I was supposed to protect her, but she ended up protecting me…"

"Don't be too hard on yourself, Sister Schach." Hayate said, hiding her clenched fist under the desk. "I'm sure Carim knew what she was doing. Since he bothered taking her as a hostage, I doubt he's going to do anything to her right away. She can handle herself until we can get her back."

"I hope you're right…" Schach sighed.

"I want you and the others to standby for now. I'll contact you if something comes up."

"… Roger." With that, the sad nun's face disappeared. When it did, Hayate slammed her fist against her desk.

"If he does anything to harm her, I swear he won't get off easy!"

X-X-X

Carim fixed her eyes on the man in front of her as he led her somewhere. All she could tell was that they were in some sort of underground fortress, but she had no idea of the location as he had taken her there via long range teleportation.

"What exactly do you intend to do with me?" She asked. He glanced idly over his shoulder, his now helmetless red eye peering back at her.

"You'll see in a minute." Volvo smirked as he stopped before a door. He opened it to reveal a room that contained large bureaus, large screens, and a very large bed. "How about this for starters?"

Carim glared at her captor. "How dare you make such a suggestion with that face."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." He laughed as he opened one of the closets. He took out a bundle of clothes and threw them at her. "Change into that and get to work. This place is a mess."

Carim blinked and then looked at the floor. Littering it were various wrappers and other assorted junk. "… You want me to clean this up?"

"That's right. What did you think I was going to do?" He grinned slyly as he put a hand under her chin. "Oh I could ravish you at any time I pleased. You are very beautiful and it is quite tempting, but it wouldn't be as much fun. You're a strong woman, so I'll enjoy myself much, much more slowly breaking down your will. You'll stay here, forced to watch the terrible things I'm going to do to the world until eventually you'll offer your body willingly to me. I'm so looking forward to it."

He shot her a wink and then left her alone in the room. When he exited, he found a cloaked figure waiting for him.

"Why did you bring that woman here?" She asked.

"You're the one who complained about the mess." He shrugged and continued on his way.

"Where are you going now?"

"I have a rain check to cash." He smirked.

X-X-X

Nanoha leaned her head to the side, narrowly avoiding the fist that brushed past her ear. She jumped away from her attacker, but then a kick came at her from behind. She swirled around and blocked it with the shaft of Raising Heart, but couldn't react fast enough to the next assault. The punch connected with her side and sent her flying into the nearby wall.

"Ah! Nanoha-san, are you ok?" Subaru asked, quickly rushing over to her idol. "I didn't think that blow would land…"

"Don't worry about it, Subaru." Nanoha laughed it off, pulling herself out of the simulated building. "I just underestimated how out of shape I am…"

"Shouldn't we take it slower, then?" Ginga suggested. "You were just released from the hospital and all…"

"We don't have much of a choice right now." Nanoha shook her head. "We don't know when our enemy will make his next move, so I have to get ready as soon as possible. By training with you two like this, not only can I get my body gradually used to magic again, but I can familiarize myself more with fighting an opponent that uses hand to hand."

"That may be true, but…"

"Anyways, I'm also surprised by how much you two have improved." Nanoha smiled. "I can't afford to take you too lightly. Now, let's keep going!"

"Yes m'am!"

X-X-X

"Seems like I've become quite popular recently." Jail grinned at his visitor. "I'm so glad you decided to visit, my darling Fate."

"Don't call me that." Fate narrowed her eyes at the man. "I'm sure you're already aware of why I'm here."

"Volvo, was it?" Jail chuckled. "Quite the little speech he gave there. Though I must say, my attack on the ground forces HQ was far more impressive a feat than taking over the Saint Church."

"I don't care about that." Fate had to struggle to contain herself before the man who had caused her so much trouble during her life. She opened up a display and showed him images of Volvo's robots. "What do you know about these?"

"Hm…" Jail studied the images intently. "I see she's changed her design philosophy… Or maybe that's his taste, and not hers."

"So you know who's responsible for these?"

"Of course," He grinned. "I'm the one who gave the referral."

"What?"

"Oh yes, he paid me a visit not too long ago. He offered to break me out of here if I worked with him, but I refused. He reminded me a little of myself, you see, so naturally I hated him immediately. But he asked if I knew of anyone who would help him, so I gave him a name."

"And what name would that be?"

Jail's grin widened before answering.

X-X-X

"Hey Nove, come look at this!"

"What is it Wendi? Did you find somethi… Don't show me stuff like that!"

"Haha, but Nove, you need to study your human anatomy more!"

"Damn it Wendi! Get back here!"

"Quiet down you two. We're in a library."

"But Cinque-nee!"

Vivio sighed and hid her embarrassed face behind a book. Maybe asking the Nakajima sisters for their assistance in researching Volvo was a bad idea.

"I'm sorry about them, Arf." She told the small familiar next to her.

"Don't worry about it, Vivio." Arf gave a slight smile. "It's been so gloomy around here ever since Yuuno died, so it's nice that's it's gotten so lively."

"But we're not making much progress…" Vivio sighed again. "I can't believe we haven't found anything on Volvo yet. If he was some one strong enough to defeat the Saint Kaiser, you'd think there would be plenty of mentions of him."

"Here's something." Dieci called from her corner, prompting even Nove and Wendi to shift their attention. "It says here that Volvo was the greatest warrior to serve under Saint Kaiser Olivie. He had fought and won many battles under her name, and was said to be her most loyal of subjects."

"Huh? But I thought this guy killed the Saint Kaiser?" Wendi wondered. "Why did he turn against her if he was so loyal?"

"It doesn't say." Dieci flipped through a few pages. "Not much is known about him otherwise. He was most active on the battlefield, but there were never any survivors from the opposing forces. Apparently his fighting style was so brutal even his allies couldn't bring themselves to look at it. The only person he was seen confiding in was the Saint Kaiser herself… Huh? That's odd…"

"What is it, Dieci?" Vivio looked over the cyborg's shoulder to see blank pages. "There's nothing written here…" She reached over and put her hand on the page, but when she did there was a flash of bright light. Vivio's eyes widened as it felt like something was being crammed directly into her brain.

"Vivio! Vivio!" Her friends' calls managed to reach her ears before she passed out.

X-X-X

Nanoha sighed contently as she entered her house. She was exhausted from a lengthy day of training, but it had been such a long time since she gotten a good work out so she couldn't help but feel good about it. Subaru and Ginga were also dead tired, so she told them to get to bed early. Nanoha would have followed suit, but she remembered that she didn't have a change of clothes with her. Since she was going to stay at the base for who knew how long, she decided to quickly pop in and grab her stuff.

She made her way through the empty house and up to her room. Grabbing an overnight bag she kept in her closet, she loaded it up with the essentials. When she prepared to leave once she got all she needed, she paused when she passed her drawer and hesitated slightly before opening it. Inside was the ribbon she had placed in there the day before. Nanoha picked it up and slightly squeezed it in her hand.

"I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend, Yuuno-kun." She whispered. "But I swear to you I will bring Volvo to justice for your sake." With that vow, she pulled the tie she was using out of her hair and replaced it with the ribbon.

She made to leave her house and head back to base, but the sound of china on china made her freeze.

"I hope you don't mind, but I made myself at home."

Nanoha slowly turned around to see that there, sitting on her couch and sipping a cup of hot liquid, was the armoured clad man she knew as Volvo.

"You…"

"Good evening, Nanoha." He said cheerfully. "I'm here for the continuation of our date."

Nanoha cursed her own carelessness as she clutched the jewel under her shirt. She should have never left the base on her own.

"Aw, you don't look happy to see me." He mock pouted. "I'm so hurt." He finished off whatever had been in his cup before he got to his feet. "Well, enough of the pleasantries, I suppose. Let's get down to business."

When he assumed his battle stance, Nanoha weighed her options. She could make a break for the door, but from what she had seen in their previous battle, Volvo would certainly be able to catch her. Did she have no choice but to try and fight?

"What? You're not going to transform? I can't have my fun unless you do!" Volvo paused to consider something. "Oh, I guess you wouldn't want to fight here, lest your pretty little house get destroyed. Why don't I ease your mind a bit?" A magic circle appeared at his feet as he raised his hand to the ceiling. When he did, the surroundings were stained with an off-colour light. "There."

"So you've put this area under a barrier?"

"I sure did. Now we can wreck the place and it can easily be fixed."

'Good.' Nanoha thought. 'This will alert the others, so now I just need to hold him off for a bit.'

"I wonder how badly I can beat you up before reinforcements arrive." He grinned, seemingly reading her mind. "Only one way to find out!"

Nanoha barely had enough time to activate Raising Heart before she was kicked through the wall and rolled out into the street. She got to her feet and took to the air moments before Volvo's fist sunk into the asphalt where her head used to be.

"Divine Buster!" She called as she fired the blast before he could pull his hand out of the ground. Prior to the explosion dying out, she quickly spun around and cast a protection spell. Sure enough, Volvo appeared in front of her, his double axe handle swing bouncing off the pink wall. Nanoha used the opening created to stick the Exceed Mode muzzle into his chest. "Divine Buster!" She called again, firing point blank. The stream of energy sent her foe into a neighbouring house which soon collapsed from the damage.

"That certainly smarted." Volvo winced as he pulled himself out of the rubble. "But that's good. You'd shame your father's legacy if you weren't at least this talented."

"What do you know about my dad?" Nanoha's eyes widened.

"I do my homework." He simply smirked. "I know a lot about you, Nanoha. You're from a planet called Earth, and are the first daughter of Shiro and Momoko Takamachi. Your family also includes your older half brother Kyouya, and your cousin from your father's side named Miyuki. While Miyuki may be your cousin, you still consider her your beloved older sister. How touching."

"If you even think about harming my family…"

"Your father was gravely injured on the job, and this put him in the hospital for a long time. Miyuki would stay with him, while Momoko and Kyouya tended to the family shop, the Midori-ya. This left poor little Nanoha all alone at the house, with no one to care for her."

"Shut up!"

"As a result, you became very independent at a young age. You feel like your family's fifth wheel, so you try your hardest not to trouble others. You keep all your problems to yourself, determined to solve everything on your own with your own power. However because of that, you disregard your own well being and end up pushing yourself too far, often with disastrous results. This, in turn, causes others to trouble themselves and worry over you. Such a paradoxical life our darling Nanoha leads."

"What do you know?" Nanoha growled through clenched teeth, her knuckles white from gripping Raising Heart too hard.

"A lot! I told you I do my homework." He looked skyward, as if contemplating what to say next. "Let's see… You are very well liked by your friends, but if they had to point out a flaw of yours, it's that you're dense enough to draw in black holes. Your first kiss was with your friend Hayate when you accidentally fell on top of her while going through rehab together… Oh, and your three sizes are…" Volvo leaned his head to the side to avoid the pink orb that had been shot at him. "It's not nice to interrupt other people when they're talking."

"I've had enough talking." Nanoha glared. "It's clear even to me that trying to talk things over with you is no good. I'll defeat you and then you'll be locked away for a very long time."

"Ok then, let's resume our dance, shall we?" Once again he vanished.

"He'll attack from behind again!" Nanoha uttered as she spun around to counter.

"I can't help it if you have such a cute backside!"

Nanoha gasped as the voice came from behind her and she felt his fingers dig into her shoulders.

"If you think your opponent is too predictable, they can use that against you." He whispered into her ear before he dug his knee into her back and launched her across the street. When Nanoha looked at her destination, she saw that Volvo was already there waiting for her with his arm pulled back.

Activating her Axel Fin, Nanoha redirected herself skywards, but once again Volvo appeared in her path.

"I'm not going to let you get away!" He declared as he brought both his arms down and they connected with Raising Heart's shaft, sending Nanoha crashing into the ground.

"Are you all right, Raising Heart?" She asked as she got to her feet.

"**Damage is minimal, my master."**

"You know, a thought occurred to me. Mages are basically witches, right?" Volvo descended with a flying kick, which Nanoha dodged by taking to the air again. "And from what I've heard, one way to kill a witch is…"

Nanoha noticed a large shadow begin to grow beneath her, and she looked up to see a structure emerging from a Mid Childan circle directly above her.

"… Dropping a house on them."

Nanoha quickly pointed Raising Heart towards the house she recognised as belonging to her neighbour as it fell on her. Gravity maintained its grip on the building as it impacted the ground and burst into a cloud of splinters and concrete.

"Looks like it worked." Volvo mused as he approached the rubble. When he did a pink beam shot forth towards him. He managed a weak shield at the last moment, but the attack still knocked him away.

"I guess today's training is catching up with me…" Nanoha panted as she emerged from the path she had carved out for herself.

"So even throwing the kitchen sink, and the rest of the house, at you isn't enough." Volvo chuckled. "I wonder if there's a steamroller around here…"

"You like hearing yourself speak, don't you?" Nanoha huffed.

"Not really," He grinned. "I just like annoying you. Being unnecessarily chatty like this is a great way to throw off your opponent, especially when you know where to prod. Shall I tell you in more detail what I did to your poor friend, what was his name again, Poono?"

Nanoha held her tongue, trying not to let his comments get to her. She had allowed herself to get drawn into his pace enough already, so she needed to calm down and rethink things. She took a deep breath, but immediately spat it out when a knee connected with her gut.

"You kids are so easily to manipulate." He laughed as Nanoha dropped to her knees. Volvo reached down and lifted her up by the throat. Nanoha tried to swing her device at him, but he caught her arm.

"This is my favourite method of killing people." He said as he began to squeeze. "Using my bare hands to wring the life out of some one, to see as their eyes bulge out of their heads as death creeps in, to know that the last thing that goes through their mind is me… Ah, it's pure bliss. It's been fun, Nanoha, but it's time to say good b…"

He frowned as he tossed Nanoha away from him and leapt backwards, avoiding the energy blast that shot between them.

"I'm always getting interrupted at the good part…" Volvo frowned as he turned to the new arrival. "This is the second time you've spoiled my fun, Fate Testarossa Harlaown!"

Fate glared at her foe as she aimed Bardiche at him. "I won't let you lay another hand on Nanoha!"


	7. Chapter 6

"Fate-chan…" Nanoha coughed as she rubbed her reddened neck.

"Don't move, Nanoha." Fate instructed as she landed between her and Volvo. "I'll get you out of here once I take care of him."

"Take care of me?" Volvo laughed. "Oh that's rich. The lifelong companion comes to her dear friend's rescue… How nice. If Nanoha is the White Devil, would that make you the Black Angel, then?"

"If you surrender peacefully, then your sentence may be reduced." Fate stated coolly.

"An angel of mercy clad in black, offering salvation to a lost soul such as myself," He laughed harder. "Yeah, I guess that suits you, Fate. Those twin tails of yours are unbelievably childish, though, but whatever. Could you get lost? I was in the middle of something."

"If you are declining surrender, then I have no choice but to use force."

Volvo clucked his tongue as he frowned. "You're being a nuisance. If you want to play with me, I'm sorry but I'm not interested in defective merchandise."

"Your answer is clear, then." Fate maintained a level voice. "Bardiche."

"**Haken form." **The device's head snapped up and the energy blade sprang forth.

"Arg, fine." Volvo sighed. "I promised the Doc I would bring you in unharmed, but you're not giving me much of a choice here. I don't know why she's interested in a failed imitation like you, but we have a deal."

"… So you are working with that woman." Fate narrowed her eyes.

"Had a little chat with Jail, I see." Volvo's grin reappeared. "Didn't really like that guy. He reminded me a little of myself, you see, so naturally I hated him immediately. But this makes things easier. Come with me, Fate, she can't wait to see you. Don't you want to see her again too?"

"I'll deal with her after I take you in." She declared.

"… What a boring woman. Well then, let's get this over with. Once I break all your limbs, I'll finish my business with Nanoha. So without further…"

"**Haken slash."** A loud hiss attacked the ears of all present as Bardiche's energy blade was caught by metal gauntlets.

"Not even going to let me fin…"Fate's leg shot out and hit Volvo's chest, knocking him away several feet. "Oh come o…"

"**Plasma Lancer."** The device declared as several golden bolts shot forward. Volvo disappeared from their path and reappeared when the attack passed.

"Not one for idle chatter, I s… Arg!" He groaned as he was slammed from behind, unaware that the plasma lancers had changed course. The man fell forward and landed face first in the rubble. "Damn it…" He cursed as he pulled himself up, spitting some dirt from his mouth. "For a failed experiment, you sure pack a punch."

"Are you going to reconsider your surrender?" Fate asked simply.

"Hell no, this is just starting to get interesting! Maybe you are worth my time after all."

"I see." Fate said no more as she charged. Volvo put out his hands to meet her head on, but at the last moment she veered to the side. She swung her device downward, but one of Volvo's hands reached out and took Bardiche's shaft, halting its descent. Undeterred, Fate drew back her arm as electricity crackled around it. Thrusting it forward, it too was blocked by Volvo's other hand. However, the lightning that had gathered could not be deterred and it coursed through her foe's body.

"Nice one..." He managed to get past his numb lips. Falling to one knee, he could barely feel the rest of his body.

Fate easily pulled Bardiche from his grip and took to the air where a magic circle appeared at her feet and energy began to gather.

"**Trident Smasher."** The triple pronged beam shot down at her foe and he was enveloped by the golden light before the ground erupted with explosive force.

Fate sighed as the smoke began to clear, but remained at the ready just in case.

"Fate-chan, behind you!" She heard Nanoha yell. Fate spun around just in time to block Volvo's fist with Bardiche.

"You're a fast one, all right." He grinned before he disappeared. "But can you really keep up with me?" The voice came from the right side this time, but Fate couldn't stop his foot from connecting with her hip.

Fate halted herself from careening into the ground, but she had no time to relax as Volvo appeared at her side once again.

"**Defenser."** Bardiche said automatically. Volvo broke through the shield easily, but it gave Fate enough time to duck away from the blow. She swung Bardiche up in retaliation, but there was only thin air to cut.

"Need to be much faster than that!" He appeared behind her this time, but Fate didn't attempt to swerve and block him. Instead, she simply shot forward and got away from him entirely.

'How can he move so fast?' Fate pondered. 'He disappears completely from sight, when not even my Sonic Form can do that. It should be impossible for him with that heavy armour, and even then such rapid acceleration puts a big strain on the body. Doing it so many times consecutively would be suicide… So why doesn't he seem to be bothered by it?'

"I do enjoy a good chase." His voice cut through Fate's thoughts as he appeared in front of her. Without slowing, she veered to the left, and then to the right as he popped up again. "But it's no good if all you do is run away!"

'It shouldn't be possible… unless!' Fate's eyes widened in realisation. "That's it! Bardiche, scan carefully for the beginning of magical reactions and report them immediately!"

"**Yes sir."**

Fate came to a halt, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She held her weapon securely in her hands and awaited his report.

"**Thirty centimetres, forty five degrees upward, forty five degrees to the left."**

Fate swung where she was told, and her blade cut across Volvo's chest as he appeared, his dark armour fissuring where the energy had connected.

"What the?" He gasped as his body arced backwards. His breast plate clattered to the ground as he landed. "Lucky shot. Let's see you try that again!"

When he disappeared, Bardiche quickly spoke again.

"**Fifty centimetres, directly behind."** Fate's leg shot out behind her and caught Volvo in his now unprotected chest.

"Gah!" He coughed as he flew backwards, eventually landing on his knees. "Ok, maybe not so lucky."

"I figured out your trick." Fate stated. "I thought you were moving too fast for my eyes to catch, but that's not the case. What you're really doing is using short range teleportation. Once I knew that, I just had to look for the magic reaction that happens right before you appear."

"Aaaah, you found me out." Volvo sighed as he stood. "That's right, I've just been teleporting this whole time."

"I must admit I'm amazed you were able to do it so quickly." Fate noted. "You are able to processes location data and formulate magical equations at an impressive speed."

"Yup," Volvo tapped the side of his helmet. "Superior hardware and processing speed thanks to years on the battlefield that allows me to react much quicker. I can even do several calculations simultaneously in the blink of an eye. But I guess your reaction time is nothing to laugh at either."

"You won't be able to blindside me again." Fate warned. "Still don't want to surrender?"

"If I gave up so easily, there's no way I would have lived this long." He chuckled, undoing the latch of his mantle. With a shrug of his shoulders the cape and shoulder armour fell to the ground. "I'm just going to have to face you head on."

Fate craned her neck to the side to avoid the fist that streaked at her face and pushed the length of her device into his midsection. He jumped back to avoid it, and quickly jumped forward again. Fate did a horizontal swing, but he curled and rolled under it, taking out Fate's footing as he crashed into her legs. She fell on her back and he was above her quickly, fist poised to strike.

"**Sonic Move."** Her form blinked away and blinked back above him. The blade descended, but Volvo reeled his head back, causing the yellow energy to narrowly miss his face. However, when Bardiche entered his field of vision, its head snapped down.

"**Plasma Lancer."** The orb of energy quickly formed on the tip of the device and fired just as quickly. Volvo took the blast straight in the face, sending his body back into the dirt were he landed spreadeagle fashion.

"Did you get him?" Nanoha wondered as she stared at his prone form, a small column of smoke rising from his face.

"I don't know." Fate answered, cautiously approaching the body.

"That really hurt…" They heard him groan as he stirred. "I'm going to feel that one in the morning…" As he stood back up, the shattered remains of his helmet fell to the ground. "Damn, you broke it. How am I supposed to scare small children now? This face isn't very intimidating…" His red eye blazed through the fingers of the hand he held over his face. "You'll pay for that."

Fate just stared at him. "You…"

"It can't be…" Nanoha gasped.

"Hm? What? It looks like you two have seen a ghost." A familiar rope of blonde hair billowed in the wind as he removed his hand, revealing the green of his other eye.

"Y-Yuuno-kun?" Nanoha whispered. "But… you're…"

"Supposed to be dead?" His face lit up in a wicked grin. "Reports of my demise have been greatly exaggerated." He chuckled lightly. "I've always wanted to say that. But yes! It is I! None other than your good friend, Yuuno Scry…"

"**Haken Saber."** The arc of light shot at the man, who casually blocked it with a shield.

"… You really need to stop doing that." He glared. "Is this how you treat your old friend who you thought was dead? I didn't realise you hated me that much, Fate."

"Don't give me that garbage." She leered. "How dare you use his face to deceive us? I won't fall for your lies. You're not him."

"But it really is me, Yuuno!" He said with a familiar voice. "Don't you recognise me?"

"Both of Yuuno's eyes are green." She retorted. "One of yours is red. On top of that, Yuuno is one of the nicest, gentlest people I know. He would never do the kind of things you've done, especially not how you harmed Nanoha! He cares about her more than anyone!"

"Guess I can't pull the wool over your eyes." Volvo laughed. "You're partially right, anyways. I assure you, the person who stands before you is the real Yuuno Scrya… In body only, at least."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I was sealed away, you see, my mind was separated from my body." He explained. "While my memories and personality were loaded into a computer, my original body was placed under a separate, far more half assed seal. Because of that, the wounds I sustained in battle beforehand were slowly infected and began to rot. I'm afraid there wasn't much of me left when our boy Yuuno found me." He shrugged exaggeratedly. "What I did next was simple. I just had to load my mind into his body."

"How is that even possible?"

"The human brain is basically the most advanced, naturally occurring biological computer." He continued. "What I did was no different from uninstalling the old OS and installing a new one. As a result, here I am! I must say I really did get lucky. As for the eyes, well, they do say they're the window to the soul. They just changed on their own when I took residence here. Physically speaking, this body is a bit on the wimpy side for my tastes, but it's nothing some strengthening magic can't make up for right now. I'll be sure to train it extensively later."

"Its most valuable asset, however, is right here." He tapped his temple again. "What an amazing brain! It's so full of knowledge that catching up with this modern world was so easy, not to mention the data I have on you two. On top of that, his prowess with defence and support magics is incredible! Coupled with my knowledge of offense, it has served me quite well."

"… Well, thanks for telling us." Fate smirked slightly. "We were all devastated when we heard Yuuno had died, but now all we have to do is drive you out of him and we'll have him back!"

"I wonder." He grinned. "You see, while I did retain most of the information in here, I made sure to erase his personality. The Yuuno you knew is now where ever it is deleted data goes."

"You never know until you try!" Fate charged with renewed determination.

"Oh, and by the way, you were wrong about one thing." He warped away from Fate's attack and reappeared before Nanoha. "You said that Yuuno cares about Nanoha more than anyone, well, that's not true."

Nanoha backed away as Volvo stuck Yuuno's face in hers.

"The truth of that matter is." He smirked, emphasizing his next words. "He hates you."

"… Eh?" Nanoha blinked in shock at those three words. "What?"

"Don't listen to him, Nanoha!" Fate called as she charged again.

"Stop interrupting me!" He growled fiercely, grabbing Bardiche when it was within reach. He pulled Fate in, leaned his head back and brought his forehead crashing into hers. The impact had Fate seeing stars as she stumbled back while Volvo didn't even flinch as blood trickled down his face.

"That's right, Nanoha. Yuuno has hated you for a long time now."

"You're lying!" She shot back. "Why would he…"

"This is precisely why!" Volvo cackled. "You're so dense that you have no idea what he's been through! But I have access to all his memories, so I know all the details. You had absolutely no idea that he was in love with you."

"What?" Nanoha reeled in shock. "Yuuno-kun was…"

"That's right. You were everything to him. Do you know why he worked so hard? It was all for your sake. How many times did he work himself to exhaustion so he could discover things to make the world just a little bit safer for you? How many times did he nearly get killed in cave ins trying to secure Lost Logia so you wouldn't have to fight it some day? You know what prompted him to investigate the area around the Cradle? He wanted to see if he could discover something that might be useful in helping you with Vivio."

"He didn't ask for much in return." Volvo went on. "All he wished for is that some day you would look at him and be able to return his feelings. But as the years went by that never happened! You wouldn't even spare a single glance at him; you never considered his feelings at all!"

"… I had no…"

"You had no idea? What kind of excuse is that? You were completely oblivious to the suffering of a close friend? It's no wonder he came to hate you! It really is amazing how love can turn into hatred so easily."

"Yuuno-kun was… suffering?"

"That's right." He leaned in closer. "And it's all your fault! You're a person who hurts all those around her. Really, you're no different than me!" He chuckled softly. "No, you're even worse than me, aren't you? Causing suffering is so natural to you, you don't even notice you're doing it!"

"No, that can't be!" Nanoha shook her head weakly, tears welling in her eyes. "I…"

"You still won't admit it!" Volvo shouted as he lifted her up by the collar. "Yuuno suffered and eventually got taken over by me because of you, and you're just going to deny it? What a disgusting woman you are!" He threw her with a deft toss into a nearby pile of debris where her head hit a block of concrete when she landed. Nanoha remained motionless afterwards.

"Damn it." He growled. "I knocked her out." He lazily looked to his side as a large beam of energy approached him. He waved his hand and blocked the blast with a barrier. "I'm sure you're aware of just how powerful these barriers are, Fate."

"You won't get away with this, Volvo!" Fate sneered. "Telling her that lie…"

"Why would I lie when the facts cause more damage?" He grinned. "Everything I said was the truth, and I know you know that."

"You…"

"This has been fun, Fate, it really has, but now that I've gone and rendered Nanoha unconscious, this looses all appeal." Volvo shrugged helplessly. "When she wakes up, be sure to give her my regards. We will resume this later. Bye-bye." This time he disappeared and didn't come back. With his departure, the surroundings reverted to their undamaged state.

"Nanoha!" Fate called as she disengaged Bardiche and ran to her fallen friend. She took out a cloth and held it against her bleeding head wound. "Hang in there!"

Nanoha remained silent even after the reinforcements arrived.

X-X-X

"The look on her face was priceless!" Volvo laughed as he flopped down on his couch. "I hope that stupid woman takes a long time to think about what's she's done."

"Just what did you do?" Carim glared as she entered with a first aid kit.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He smirked. "Come to patch me up? Thanks, darling."

"I'm not doing this for your sake. I do not wish to see harm come to professor Scrya's body." She made clear as she wiped the blood from his forehead.

"It's my body now, Carim. Get used to it."

"Once Hayate and the others know the truth, they will stop at nothing to get him back from you."

"You can bet I'm looking forward to that." He snickered. "I especially want Nanoha to suffer even more! That's what he desires as well."

Carim remained silent as she bandaged the wound. 'Underestimating those girls will be your downfall.'

X-X-X

"_If you are hearing this, it means our worst fears have come true."_

'What is this?'

"_This passage was encrypted so only her majesty can learn its contents. I do this on the chance that she has been reborn in your time by some means."_

'Does he mean the Saint Kaiser?'

"_Since you exist, and are searching for this information, that could only mean that lord Volvo has been released."_

'So this is about Volvo!'

"_He is truly a dreadful force who Lady Olivie gave her life to seal away using the Cradle and the last of her strength. If he has been loosed on your world, I can only fear for the worst."_

'There must be some way to stop him!'

"_There is only one thing I can suggest you do to face him. It was the final gift my lady left behind for the world._

"V… i… o…"

"_She…"_

"VIVIO!"

Vivio's eyes snapped open and she found herself surrounded by the four Nakajima sisters and her mother's familiar.

"Thank goodness you've come out of it!" Arf sighed in relief. "You had us worried there."

"I was…" Vivio blinked a few times before it came back to her. "That's right! That book!"

"You fell unconscious after touching it." Dieci explained.

"You really scared us, you know that Shorty?" Wendi ruffled the girl's hair. "I swear, I thought Nove was going to blow a gasket from worrying."

"I wasn't that worried!" Nove puffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Vivio didn't have time to smile at the siblings' antics as she turned to the eldest cyborg with a serious expression.

"Cinque, I have a favour to ask."

"What is it?" Her single eye blinked.

"There's some one I need to go see."

* * *

Raise your hand if you saw that twist coming! Yeah, I tried to hide it, but imagine my disappointment when my _first two reviews_ called it :( Well, will Nanoha and the others be able to save him, or will they have to sacrifice him in order to put a stop to Volvo? You'll have to wait and see!

The change in eye colour = possession thing is a shout out to Rido Kuran from Vampire Knight.

And if you haven't figured it out by now, Alavon, this is the fic that your Goodbye story helped inspire.


	8. Chapter 7

"What's up doc?" Volvo said as he pranced into the room.

"Will you stop saying that?" The doctor in questioned frowned.

"Spoil sport." He shrugged.

"So, what is it?" She turned back to checking the data on her screen. "I take it something nice happened during your latest outing?"

"Sure did." He said as he studied one of the metallic forms lined up on the wall. "I mourn the loss of my awesome helmet, but had I thought this face would have had such a fun impact, I wouldn't have bothered with it. How about you, doc? Maybe it's time you ditched that cloak of yours."

"I've told you before why I wear this. After what I've done I couldn't bear to let her see me like this."

"Yeah, yeah, hiding your shame or whatever." Volvo shrugged again. "But speaking of, I ran into her."

"… Seeing as how she's not here," She turned back to him. "I take it you failed to uphold your end of the bargain."

"She put of more of a fight than I had anticipated, but don't worry. I didn't harm her… much."

"You…"

"She'll be just fine so chill out already." Volvo casually put his hands behind his head. "And there'll be plenty of other chances. She will be brought before you in one piece, I promised that."

"Do not disappoint me."

"Same to you. How are these guys doing?"

"They'll be online soon enough." The doc said.

"Did you incorporate the trinkets that Jail left for us?"

"As much as it disgusts me to rely on that man, yes, they function as the main power source."

"Show a little gratitude, doc." Volvo flashed a lopsided grin. "Remember that without those toys you'd still be stuck in that prison."

"… Be that as it may, I know full well how unstable these items can be, so I'd like to run further trials and tests to make sure everything is functioning properly."

Volvo seemed to consider that for a moment. "How long do you want?"

"One week at the most."

"A week, huh…" He gazed thoughtfully until he broke out into a smirk. "I think I'll use that… Okay, you got your week."

"Where are you going now?" She asked when he made to leave.

"Oh I'm just going to play with Carim for a bit and after that I'll take a nap." He threw a curt wave over his shoulder. "Keep up the good work, doc."

"Just remember," she muttered. "That I'm only doing this for her sake."

X-X-X

"That bastard, how low is he willing to go?" Hayate cursed as she rammed her first into her palm.

"He struck exactly where it hurt the most…" Fate murmured as she gently stroked the sleeping woman's hand. Nanoha had been placed in their bed at the dormitory. Hayate and Fate figured their side-tailed friend would much rather wake up there than a hospital bed again.

"Well, knowing that Volvo is in Yuuno-kun's body explains a lot." The commander mused. "It also tells us what kind of abilities he has, and unfortunately those barrier and teleportation spells will be lots of trouble."

"But at the same time there's a chance we can get Yuuno back." Fate looked up hopefully. "Despite what Volvo says, I'm sure Yuuno's still in there somewhere!"

"Maybe, but Fate-chan…" Hayate stopped when the other brunette let out a groan.

"W-Where am I this time?" Nanoha muttered as her eyes fluttered opened.

"You're in our room." Fate told her with a reassuring squeeze.

"Wha… Volvo! What about…" Nanoha shot up and immediately winced, her free hand going to her bandaged forehead.

"Take it easy, Nanoha-chan." Hayate said. "He left after you were knocked unconscious. What all do you remember?"

"I… I remember going home for some things… and then he was there… We fought, and Fate-chan arrived and then…" Her eyes widened. "Yuuno-kun! Yuuno-kun was… Volvo was Yuuno-kun and he… He said he hates me… he said everything was my fault! Yuuno-kun said…"

"Stop, Nanoha!" Fate pleaded. "That was Volvo speaking, not Yuuno. You can't believe what Volvo tells you, he's just lying to hurt you."

"R-Really?" Nanoha let out a sigh of relief. "You're right… it must have been a lie. There's no way Yuuno-kun could have been in love with me." She laughed weakly. "That's just silly, right?"

Nanoha turned to her friends, but they both looked away and remained silent.

"… Fate-chan, Hayate-chan, what's…?"

"… Nanoha-chan," Hayate spoke slowly. "That part was true. Yuuno-kun's had a thing for you for a long time now."

"W-What? No that can't… If he was I would have… I mean I should have… Why didn't you tell me?"

"Yuuno didn't want us to tell you because he was planning on confessing someday…" Fate bit her lip. "We all tried to give you both little pushes, but…"

"N-No way…" Nanoha looked at the sheets blankly. "So everyone knew except me? All this time and I didn't realise… No… No, if that part's true then… Then Yuuno-kun really has been suffering all this time! I never noticed and it's all my fault! Of course he'd hate me!"

"Nanoha, he doesn't…!"

"How would you know…?" Nanoha yanked her hand free from Fate's. "… Leave." She whispered.

"Nanoha!"

"Leave me alone!" Nanoha snapped. "I'm a horrible person, just like he said! Who knows how many other people I've harmed over the years! So just go!" She pulled the covers over her head and turned away. "I don't deserve to have you concerned about me."

"Nano…" Fate stopped when Hayate put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let her be." She whispered, leading the blonde out of the room.

"But Hayate!"

"It's just too much of a shock to her right now." Hayate shook her head. "First she had to deal with his death, then she learns he's alive, he's possessed, he was in love with her, that he hates her and its all her fault… Not to mention that conk on the head's left her brain all rattled. Let's just give her some time to calm down, pull herself together."

"… Okay." Fate sighed. "But I can't stand knowing that she believes Volvo's lies."

"Trust me, I don't like it either, but…" Hayate resisted the urge to punch the wall. "What we need to do is prepare ourselves for what needs to be done. If we have to fight without Nanoha-chan, so be it. If we can't free Yuuno-kun from Volvo, then…"

"Wait, Hayate, you can't mean…!"

"Fate-chan, if what Volvo says is true and Yuuno-kun is no more… If we're unable to capture him, we have to be ready to stop him by any means."

"But…"

"I need to know, Fate-chan." Hayate put both hands on her friend's shoulders. "If it comes down to it, can you kill him?"

"Hayate, you can't expect me to…"

"Can you do it, Fate-chan?" Hayate asked again. "I don't want to resort to that if I can avoid it, but if we can't… You know that Yuuno-kun would rather die than allow his body to be used in such a way."

"I know…" Fate closed her eyes and tried to gather her resolve. Sometimes the job required the use of lethal force, but if persuasion, capture, and rehabilitation weren't options, did she really have to kill that person? But if it could finally bring them peace…

"Yes." Fate opened her eyes and looked into the other girl's. "If I have no other choice, I'll do it."

"Okay." Hayate let her hands drop to her sides. "And that goes for the rest of you too." They turned to the corner to see Subaru, Ginga, and Teana shuffle sheepishly into view. "Understood?"

"Yes m'am." The three said.

"Good. Dismissed." Hayate made her exit.

"… So how is Nanoha-san doing?" Subaru asked Fate.

"She's… She'll be okay but we need to leave her alone for now." Fate smiled sadly. "This business with Yuuno is just taking a toll on her, so she needs her rest."

"Oh…"

"Why don't the three of you go get something to eat and unwind?" Fate suggested. "Tomorrow is sure to be another busy day."

"Sure thing, Fate-san." Teana nodded. "Let's go, Subaru."

"… Okay…" Subaru's attention lingered on the door behind which her idol was behind as she followed the other two away.

X-X-X

Teana and Ginga both knew something was wrong when Subaru only ate nine plates of food.

"It's still ten years too early for you to worry about Nanoha-san." Teana said.

"I know that, but still…" Subaru poked at her meal. "I wish I could do something… Do you guys know anything about this Yuuno person?"

"There isn't anyone in the investigative arm of things that doesn't know of Professor Yuuno Scrya." Ginga said. "He singlehandedly organized the Infinity Library and has helped many with finding information relevant to cases."

"If it involves Lost Logia, he's the one to see." Teana added. "I've worked with him briefly a few times before. He was a nice guy and was childhood friends with Nanoha-san, Fate-san, and Commander Yagami."

"I guess it's no wonder they're taking this so seriously." Subaru looked down into her plate. "But to go so far as to kill him…"

"In this line of work sometimes you need to use extreme measures." Teana said sadly.

"I joined the Bureau because I wanted to help people, not kill them…" Subaru studied her hand. It would be so easy for her to kill some one with it and that knowledge terrified her. She had been faced with death many times before and had vowed never to be the cause of it.

"Fighting to save some one is a lot harder than fighting to kill them."

The three girls turned to the new arrivals.

"Vice captain Vita, vice captain Signum, and Zafira too!" Teana noted. "You're all here?"

"Of course." Zafira said. "Did you not think our mistress would call us all in on this?"

"Couldn't help but overhear your little chat." Vita said, zeroing in on Subaru. "If you want to avoid killing that much, there's only one thing you can do."

"What's that?" Subaru blinked.

"Simple! Train, train, train, and train some more! Become stronger so you'll be able to take your opponent down before you have to resort to a fatal blow. You got that?"

"Y-Yes!" Subaru shot up, sparkles in her eyes.

"That's the spirit." Vita lightly gave the taller girl a shot in the hip. "Now that's you're all pumped up, let's get started on that training!"

"Yeah!" Subaru thrust her first into the air.

"… She's so simple, isn't she?" Teana grinned.

"That's my sister for you." Ginga smiled back.

"You girls should come as well." Signum said. "We have a long, hard battle ahead of us. It would be wise to train as much as possible, so I think I shall particulate with you as well."

"It would be an honour to train with you vice captain Signum…" Teana chuckled nervously.

"Then let us go."

As they all went to the training grounds, Ginga and Teana both wondered if they'd survive to actually get to the coming battlefield.

X-X-X

"Na… ha… Nano… ha… Nanoha!"

"Huh?" Nanoha blinked as she frantically searched her surroundings. She saw that she was walking down one of the corridors of the training center.

"Is something wrong? It's not like you to just space out like that."

"No, I'm okay." Nanoha shook her head and smiled. "Sorry about that, Yuuno-kun."

"So long as you're fine…" The boy smiled back. "Anyways, like I was saying earlier, it's been awhile since the two of us were able to hang out together so I was wondering if you'd like to get some dinner after this. Maybe we could even catch a movie or something?"

"Thanks for the offer Yuuno-kun, but I'm afraid I can't." Nanoha smiled apologetically. "I'm going to get a head start on the regimen for the next batch of recruits that will be here next month. But next time for sure, okay?"

When he didn't respond, Nanoha noticed the haze in his eyes.

"Yuuno-kun, what's…?" When she reached out to him, he eyes rolled back and a trickle of red fell from his lips.

At that moment Nanoha felt something cool in her hand. When she looked down she saw that it was the handle of the blade that had pierced into Yuuno's chest.

"What? No, I…" Nanoha tried to pull the knife out, but instead it just sunk in deeper.

"This is what you've been doing for so many years." Something whispered into her ear. She looked to the side to see a mass of shadow grinning at her. "Well, thanks for the opening."

The shadow floated away from her and converged on the open wound, disappearing into it. Yuuno's eyes rolled back, one of them now red, and he flashed her a wicked smirk. His hands shot out and took hold of her throat.

"How is it?" He asked as he squeezed. "This is the kind of suffering you've been subjecting him to. Yuuno wanted so badly for you to have a taste of your own medicine, and I'm all too happy to oblige."

"N-No…" She croaked. "Stop…"

"Not going to happen. You're getting exactly what you deserve."

"NO!"

Nanoha found herself in utter darkness, but the weight of the sheets told her where she was.

"… Just a dream…" She panted, absently rubbing a hand over her neck. "Lights on."

The lights flickered on at her command, further reassuring her that she was still in her dorm room. Before she could even ponder what to do next, she felt the other presence in the room.

"Who's there?" She asked, tentatively putting one foot to the floor.

"It's me, Nanoha." The person emerged, causing Nanoha to jump out of bed.

"V-Volvo!" She clenched her teeth and stood at the ready.

"No, Nanoha, you're wrong!" He waved his hands in front of him. "It's me, Yuuno! Volvo went to sleep so I was able to take control away from him for a bit."

"Like I'd believe…" Nanoha stopped when he was close enough for her to see into his eyes. Both of them shone with the gentle emerald she had always associated with him. If eyes were the window into the soul, then surely the one before her was…

"Yuuno-kun!" Relief washed over her and before she realised it she had ran and embraced him. "It's you! You're okay! When I thought you were dead, I… You came back but he… and then…!"

"Calm down, Nanoha." Yuuno flushed before gently putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm here, it's okay now…"

"It was awful…" Nanoha said, tears now streaming down her face. "He used your body and he…" The memory finally cut through the rush of happiness and she tried to pull away from him. "I… I've been causing you to suffer for so long and I had no idea… I'm so sorry Yuuno-kun! I didn't mean… I don't want you to hate me…"

"I know what he told you…" Yuuno pulled her closer. "But he was wrong. I don't hate you, Nanoha. I lo…"

As she listened to his words, Nanoha felt this overwhelming feeling inside her. When she had been told he was dead, she felt as if her world had been shattered and that there was a huge hole in her heart. But now he was right in front of her, holding her close, telling her reassuring words and everything felt right. For the first time in a week, she felt whole again. Now they just had to get Volvo out of Yuuno's body and everything would go back to the way it used to be.

"…athe you."

"Huh?" Nanoha's thoughts were shaken by the quick shove. It sent her to the floor where her back slammed against the bed.

"That's right! I don't just hate you, I absolutely loathe you!" Yuuno growled, his calm eyes now blazing. "So many years of my life wasted on you, but what do I have to show for it? Nothing! I've done so much for you, but what have you done for me? Nothing, you ungrateful bitch!"

"Y-Yuuno-kun? What…"

"Just shut up!" He spat. "I toiled away for you all while you played the little 'happy family.' You never gave any thought to me, you never cared at all and I got sick of it! I was just shoved off into the background where no one gave me a second thought, but not any longer! Because Volvo came to me, I finally have power! It's really quite amazing how intoxicating it is to see others fall before me! Thanks to Volvo I'm not inconsequential anymore! I'm not just some extra, now I'm the main character! Together we'll stand on top of the world and I'll finally get the attention that I deserve!"

"And you, you who has taken advantage of me for so long…" Yuuno crouched before the shock stricken girl. "You'll finally know how I felt, being absolutely nothing. All the suffering you caused me, you'll feel it a hundred fold while I just laugh and laugh. But I will offer you a bit of thanks. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be in this amazing position. So thanks, Nanoha. This is all because of you."

"No… no…" She muttered weakly.

"Deny it all you want, it doesn't make it any less true." He scoffed. "Such a horrible woman, what the hell was I thinking, falling in love with you? I'm so looking forward to what Volvo has in store for you…"

"Nanoha? The lights were on so I thought…" Fate walked in and froze when she witnessed the scene before her. "Volvo, you!"

"Oh hey Fate, it's been awhile." Yuuno smiled. "Put Bardiche down, there's no need for that. I'm not Volvo right now. It's me, Yuuno."

"I won't fall for your lies! Get away from Nanoha now!"

"But I'm not lying. It's really me." Yuuno shrugged helplessly when the other blonde kept staring at him. "Believe me or not, but could you please leave? I really have no beef with you, but this is between me and Nanoha."

"I said get away from her!" Fate made to charge, but a bind appeared around her.

"I thought you'd be more understanding, Fate." Yuuno shook his head. "After all, you know better than anyone how it feels to devote yourself to some one, only to have them turn around and cause you nothing but pain."

The memory of a whip flashed through Fate's mind as she undid the bind. "That was different."

"Fine, I guess I'll have to save this for later." Yuuno sighed. "I didn't come here to fight anyways, I just came here to deliver this." He pulled an envelope out of his pocket and tossed it at Fate who made no effort to catch it. "And with that I'll be seeing you two later. Bye for now." The man disappeared in a flash of light.

"Nanoha!" Fate quickly dashed to the other girl's side. The brunette had pulled her knees up to her chest and held her head in her hands.

"What have I done?" Nanoha sobbed. "This is all my fault!"

"Nanoha, get a hold of yourself!" Fate grabbed her shoulders. "That wasn't him!"

"Because of me, he's been twisted like that! Everything's my fault…"

"That's not true, Nanoha! He's being forced against his will! We just need to save him!"

"But he doesn't want to be saved! He hates me and wants to make me pay!"

"Nanoha!" Fate was on the verge of pulling out her hair. It was clear that her words weren't reaching the other girl but she needed to do something. The thought that occurred to her was something Fate never thought she'd need to do in a million years, but this situation called for it.

"This is going to hurt me a lot more than it hurts you." Fate muttered before she slapped Nanoha across the face.

"F-Fate-chan?" Nanoha's sobbing ceased at the surprise action.

"I'm sorry, but it had to be done." Fate said, gently cupping Nanoha's cheeks. "I know things have been hard for you lately, but you have to pull yourself together. There's no way that the person who was just here was Yuuno. It was just more of Volvo's lies."

"You can't know that…"

"Maybe, but think, Nanoha. You've known Yuuno longer than anyone else and you've been through so much together. Do you honestly believe that he could ever turn into something like that? That he could ever bring himself to hate you, or anyone else for that matter?"

"I… I thought I knew, but…"

"Stop doubting yourself. Even if you've been apart for so long, there's still that strong bond that connects you. That's what it means to be friends, right?"

"Yeah, but…"

"I just know that Yuuno is still in there somewhere, crying out for us to help him."

"Really?" Her eyes implored Fate for answers, but the blonde shook her head. She wanted to keep reassuring Nanoha, but she knew that Nanoha would have to figure that one out on her own.

"You can't just take my word for it." She said. "Look inside yourself and I know you'll find your answers."

"Okay." Nanoha rubbed at her eyes. "Thank you, Fate-chan."

"It'll all be fine. Even if Yuuno doesn't want to be saved what does it matter?" Fate gave a slight smile. "The Nanoha I know would save him anyways using an excessive amount of force."

Nanoha managed a pouty little smile. "Why does everyone always say that…?"

X-X-X

"I've increased security and set up a jamming field that should block teleportation signals, but…" Hayate sighed as she rubbed her eyes. "Why is it so hard to keep that guy away from her?"

"I've moved her to another room for now so even if he decides to come back, hopefully he won't be able to find where she is." Fate said.

"Well then, let's take a look at what he left for us." Hayate held out her hand to receive the envelope that Fate gave her.

"I had it scanned and there was no sign of anything dangerous."

"Okay." Hayate broke the seal and took out the letter. She read it out loud. "Dear members of the Bureau, this is Volvo, the one who shall soon rule you all. Before that though I thought I'd be generous and give you a chance to fight back. I hereby cordially invite you to send Nanoha Takamachi, Fate Testarossa Harlaown, and eight of your finest combatants to my place of residence. The contest shall be held exactly one week from today, so do prepare yourselves. Further instructions will follow. I'll see you then. Love, Volvo."

"It's a trap." Fate frowned.

"PS. It's not a trap." Hayate tossed the paper across her desk. "Awfully cocky of him isn't it? If that's the way he wants to play it, we're just going to have to follow along."

"You can't be serious, Hayate!"

"The best way to deal with a trap is to spring it." Hayate stood and went to her window. "But his style is far more direct than that. If he wants to face us all in a final showdown, then it's our best chance to take him down. He underestimates us, and that will be his downfall."

"I guess you're right…"

"The question now is if we can count on Nanoha-chan to be ready for it."

"Don't worry about Nanoha." Fate smiled. "I think she'll be just fine."

"I hope you're ri-" Hayate was cut off when an emergency screen flashed into existence in front of her. "What the hell is it this time?"

X-X-X

Nanoha stared intently at her reflection in the mirror. Perhaps she was taking Fate's advice to look into herself a little too literally, but it couldn't hurt.

"_Do you honestly believe that he could ever turn into something like that? That he could ever bring himself to hate you, or anyone else for that matter?"_

At one time Nanoha would have immediately replied that she didn't believe it, but she had never believed he could have been in love with her either…

'No, I can't think that way…' Nanoha shook her head.

"_You've known Yuuno longer than anyone else."_

What was the Yuuno she had known for so long been like? Nanoha closed her eyes and thought back. It had all started with a voice inside her head, calling out for help. She vividly remembered carrying that wounded ferret in her arms to the vet, remembered when he first spoke to her, when he gave her Raising Heart, and the events that followed. He had always apologised for getting her involved, had always said how he wished he could handle it on his own but was grateful for her help.

He patiently watched over her, taught her how to use magic, and helped her seal the Jewel Seeds. There were moments when she had screwed up, but he would always lick her cheek to cheer her up.

She was pretty shocked when she learned of his true form, but things settled quickly enough. She was able to learn more about him and she was easily able to confide in him. He always listened to her with plenty of understanding.

When Nanoha desperately wanted to save Fate, it was Yuuno who helped her disobey direct orders and sent her down to the surface. She had gotten a stern lecture from Lindy afterwards, but he was right there to take the heat with her.

He was still by her side in the coming battles, whether it was supporting her from the sidelines during her battle with Fate, or being her shield when they raided the Garden of Time.

After that he had gone away for a bit to help Fate during her trial, but he had come back to help her when she was attacked by Vita. He gently supported her then, using a healing spell on her before he went off to face Vita himself.

It was during that incident that the distance between them began to grow, Nanoha realised. Yuuno had spent most of his time researching at the library, so they didn't get many chances to see each other. They still spoke on the phone and ran into each other occasionally so Nanoha didn't think their relationship had changed very much.

The years had gone by but they had remained friendly. Even if they hadn't seen each other for months, she could always chat with him easily and had no problem inviting him along on her hot springs trip with Fate and Hayate. He had declined though. Was that an early sign that he didn't want to be around her anymore?

But that didn't seem right. A few years later when they had met up during that auction, he looked genuine happy to see her, if a tad awkward about it. And later he was right there with her, spying on Vivio's first day of school.

If he hated her back then, he showed no signs of it. But what about after that? People could change pretty quickly, so it was possible…

Nanoha sighed. She only had Volvo's word for it but she didn't want to believe him. She wanted to believe what Fate was saying, but… If only there was some sort of definite proof. Something…

As she stared at herself, Nanoha realised it and laughter burst from her lips.

"So that's it…" She said between fits. "I really am dense aren't I? It was right in front of me all this time…"

It felt so good to laugh again, even if it was self derisive. The darkness in her heart was blown away by the sound and she felt strength well up. When she finally settled down she wiped away the tears that had gathered and looked into her own determined eyes.

"Okay." She smiled. "I've got work to do."

X-X-X

"What's the situation?" Hayate asked when she and Fate entered the command room.

"A large tremor has been detected in the old city district." Shari reported. "Putting the epicentre on screen now."

Displayed were the long since abandoned buildings that began to crumble from the vibrations. The ground tore open and consumed the white objects before they were pushed out again by the ascent of a large silver structure.

"What the heck is that?" Hayate gaped as the building continued to rise. When it finally came to a halt, it towered over everything around it, casting a long shadow that blanketed the city in darkness.

"Incoming transmission broadcasting on all wavelengths," Shari said. "It's coming through by itself."

"Greetings everyone!" Yuuno's face popped onto all the screens. "You might not recognise the new look, but it's me, Volvo, that guy who's gonna subjugate you all! If you direct your attention to the outskirts of town, you'll see my castle that's been burrowed underground since ancient times. It's amazing how people fail to find what's right under their noses. Well anyways, I thought I'd give you all an update on my conquest. Everything will be over in exactly one week from today, I promise you this. I've extended an invite to the Bureau to send their best mages to face me at that time, so we'll have to wait to see who comes out victorious."

"For all your sakes you better hope it's the Bureau because only then will you get the antidote to the virus I've released in all the major cities. It takes a bit more than a week for this virus to kill you horribly but you'll be fine with the vaccine. Symptoms of infection include sore throat, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite, and vomiting, just to name a few. Of course I'd be willing to cure you all now if you unconditionally surrender to me. The choice is yours. See you all in a week."

X-X-X

"You never said anything about a virus."

"That's because there isn't one, doc." Volvo smirked. "Just a little psychological warfare. Now the Bureau has to deal with panicked citizens who will all try to rush to the hospital when they have even the tiniest of colds. It should keep them out of our hair for awhile. Heck, we may even get lucky and they'll convince the Bureau to surrender. I doubt it, so be sure you're ready in a week."

"I will be."

"The one you're waiting for will just walk through the front door and into your arms, so it works out for both of us. Now I just need to find something to do for a week…" Volvo stroked his chin as he walked out the door. "Oh Carim!"

X-X-X

"People are already rioting in the streets." Hayate said to the group gathered in the briefing room. "The ground forces have their hands full dealing with them, and the navy is keeping their eyes on other worlds. I imagine this is just what Volvo had in mind when he made that lie."

"Um…" Subaru raised her hand. "How do you know there is no virus?"

"It's not his style." Fate explained. "He is very direct in his desire to harm others. Using a virus would greatly reduce the number of people he could kill personally, and he wouldn't want that."

"I've explained this to my superiors, so surrender won't be considered." Hayate continued. "In a week's time we'll be sending a team to accept his little invitation. This team will consist of myself, Fate-chan, Signum, Vita, Shamal, Zafira, Teana, Ginga, and Subaru. We'll use this week to its fullest and prepare ourselves for anything. It's up to us to stop him, no matter the cost."

"You forgot about some one, Hayate-chan."

"Nanoha-chan?" Hayate turned as the instructor entered. "I think it's best you sit this one out."

"Please let me go on this mission too." The resolve in her eyes were clear to all those present. "I'm sorry I haven't been myself lately, but I'm okay now. I can do this."

Hayate studied her intently before nodding firmly. "It's good to have you back, Nanoha-chan. All right, everyone dismissed."

"Nanoha-san, are you really okay now?" Subaru immediately asked the older woman.

"Yes, I'm just fine." Nanoha smiled and put a hand on Subaru's shoulder. "Sorry for worrying you."

"No, it was nothing…" Subaru sniffed.

"Geeze, you'll always be such a cry baby." Teana nudged her friend.

"I'm not crying…" Subaru wiped at her eyes.

"It's okay to cry when you're happy." Ginga smiled as she put her arm around her sister's shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, let's quit with the blubbering already." Vita snorted. "We got better things to do than stand around all day."

"You're right Vita-chan." Nanoha said. "I hope you're all prepared for a full week of training. I don't intend to hold back!"

"Yes m'am!" The younger girls saluted, silently wondering if having her back wasn't entirely a good thing.

"Nice to see her back in form." Signum nodded.

"I knew she would be all right." Fate smiled. "Volvo probably thinks he crushed her spirit, but won't he be surprised when he sees her in a week."

* * *

I guess my biggest concern is that Nanoha is too out of character. Her being out of character was intentional, but depending on your milage it might be too much. We all know how much Nanoha values her friends, so what if she found out she hurt one of them? She's certainly blasted her fair share of them, but that was for their own good. What if she found she'd been constantly causing a dear friend intense pain that was nothing but harmful, and she had no idea that she was actually doing it? And it caused said friend to head down a bad path? I certainly think she'd be quite hard on herself, so couple it with some other stuff, I personally think things are justified.

Well, in any case now Nanoha will be back to her old self and ready to kick some ass! Expect more action orientated chapters in the future!


	9. Chapter 8

"… The author's inability to abide by the rules of her own universe is the final nail in the proverbial coffin. If the younger generation grows up believing such trite is good literature, I fear for the future."

Jail sat back as he studied what he had typed on the screen. One of the privileges he had gained through his cooperation was access to a computer for brief periods and he usually utilized this opportunity to upload literary reviews to his Spacebook account. His target this time was a certain four volume series he had the displeasure of forcing himself through.

"That's the last time I listen to one of Quattro's recommendations," he said before he heard the door to his cell block open.

"Dr. Scaglietti, you have a visitor," the guard said as he poked his head in.

"Send them right in, Barney." Jail flashed a smile and settled himself down in his chair. His smile widened as the small girl walked in. "Cinque, how nice to see you again."

"Greetings, Doctor." Cinque nodded curtly. "I see you're still doing well."

"It seems the same can't be said of the rest of the world. I saw his little announcement last week and frankly I'm surprised it took some one this long to come and see me."

"The Bureau is currently busy with crowd control," Cinque said. "So it took me far longer than usual to gain permission and make travel arrangements."

"I see, I see. I won't keep you then. What would you like to know?"

"It's not me who wants to talk to you." Cinque shook her head before turning towards the entrance. "Come in."

Jail was not a man easily rattled, but even he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping a little. "Oh my, I wasn't expecting this."

"It's been awhile, Doctor." Vivio bowed politely. "I'd like to speak with you."

"The situation must be dire indeed for a young lady such as yourself to come all the way out here to seek help from a man you despise," Jail said.

"Oh, I don't hate you." Vivio smiled. "You might have done some bad things to me and my family, but I forgive you. I know that if it weren't for you I wouldn't have been born and met my family in the first place, so I'm thankful to you for that." Vivio bowed her head again.

"…You've certainly grown into a mature young lady." Jail nodded wisely. "Perhaps I need not fear for the future after all."

"Huh?" Vivio blinked.

"Don't worry about it." Jail smiled. "Your generous heart has moved me, and because of that I'll tell you anything you want. So, how may I help you, your majesty?"

"I'm not her majesty." Vivio shook her head. "But I am looking for something she left behind."

X-X-X

"We're really sorry, Nanoha-san." Wendi and Nove both had their hands clasped in front of them as they looked at the woman on screen.

"No, you don't have to apologise." Nanoha waved it off.

"We know you're about to head off on a big mission," Nove said. "But Vivio's been pulling all nighters recently and is only now getting some rest. While we want to let you talk to her, we also don't want to disturb her…"

"Yeah, the shorty needs her sleep, so… Sorry," Wendi said.

"No, I understand." Nanoha smiled softly. "Just let her be. I'll just have to see her when I come back. I want to thank you girls for looking after my daughter."

"Don't sweat it. We're happy to do it." Wendi grinned.

"Good luck on your mission." Nove smiled.

"Bye, then." Nanoha waved before the transmission cut.

Wendi and Nove held their expressions for several beats afterwards before letting out a pair of sighs.

"Looks like she bought it." Wendi wiped her brow.

"I was worried she would see right through us." Nove said.

"Well, we were only half lying…" Wendi chuckled nervously. "She really couldn't talk to Vivio…"

"I don't even want to think about what she'd do to us if she knew the truth." Nove shivered.

"… The crater would be immense I'm sure…" Wendi mirrored her sister's reaction.

"I survived it, so will you," Dieci said simply as she flipped the page in the book she was reading.

X-X-X

Nanoha sighed after hanging up. She really wanted to speak to Vivio before she had to deploy, but some things couldn't be helped.

"Nanoha-san!" Subaru said as she ran up to her. "How's Vivio doing?"

"I wasn't able to talk to her." Nanoha smiled with a bit of sadness. "I hope she hasn't caused too much trouble for your sisters."

"If anything they're the ones causing trouble for Vivio." Subaru flashed a grin before putting on a more concerned expression. "Are you doing okay, Nanoha-san?"

"I'm just fine, Subaru. Thanks." Nanoha patted the other girl on the shoulder. "We trained really hard this past week, didn't we? I don't think I'm quite back up to 100%, so I hope I'm ready for the upcoming battle. Unlike the time with Vivio, I'm worried I might not be able to get through to him…"

"You can definitely do it, I'm sure!" Subaru said. "If anyone can save Professor Yuuno, it's Nanoha-san! It might not be easy, and I know how difficult it is to fight some one you care about when they're like a completely different person… But! I was able to save Gin-nee so Nanoha-san can do it for sure!"

"Is that so?" Nanoha smiled before pulling the blue haired girl into a hug. She remembered her student trying to cheer her on in the past as well and figured she deserved it. "Thank you, Subaru. I know I can definitely do this now."

"D-Don't mention it." Subaru flushed a bit when Nanoha let go. "I, I better go finish my preparations now. See you in a bit, Nanoha-san!"

"Okay." Nanoha watched the younger girl dash off. So many people were looking out for her and if this incident had taught her anything it was that she should appreciate that more.

X-X-X

Fate sat idly in the break area, completely unsure how she should be feeling about the upcoming mission. She figured she ought to approach it like she did any other mission, but it was far too personal for that. Should she look forward to or dread the inevitable confrontation with that person? When it came down to it, could she really do what needed to be done?

"That's quite the expression you have there, Fate."

Fate jumped out of her seat and saw who had addressed her. "Mom!"

"Not very relaxed, are you?" Lindy smiled.

"Sorry, I just have a lot on my mind…"

"I know, I've read the reports and decided to come check up on you." Lindy gently cupped a hand over Fate's cheek. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I… I don't know… What am I supposed to feel at a time like this?"

"Well, look at it as an opportunity to finally put things to rest. Once you do I know you'll come out of this even stronger."

"But…" Fate averted her eyes. "What if…"

"Don't think about that and just do what you have to do. All you need to know is that no matter what happens, your family is here for you and we love you. Chrono, Amy, and Arf all send their regards and the twins just can't wait to see their favourite aunt again."

"I'm their only aunt…" Fate smiled slightly.

"That's more like it." Lindy brushed back a strand of Fate's hair. "Just be sure to come back to us, okay?"

"I will, I promise." Fate's smile widened.

"But we can't have you head out with your tie all crooked like this." Lindy said as she began fiddling with it."

"Mooom, I can do it myself…" Fate flushed.

"Oh hush, dear." Lindy grinned. "No matter how old you get, fussing over you is a mom privilege that we never lose. Now stand still."

"Yes m'am." Fate couldn't stifle a giggle.

X-X-X

"You have to take us with you!" Schach said as she and Verossa followed Hayate down the hall.

"You know I can't do that, sister." Hayate said bluntly. "We can only take ten people and I've already chosen who those will be."

"I don't mean to tell you how to do your job, Hayate," Verossa said politely. "But I don't see any reason to abide by the condition that man set. I'm sure he has something up his sleeve so it would be best to have more able bodies present to counteract it."

Hayate stopped and turned around. "Listen, I know you want to save Carim but not listening to him might put her in even more danger. What if he kills her and pins the blame on us for not following the rules?"

"But…"

"I want to save Carim just as much as you do." Hayate smiled sympathetically. "So please, leave it to me. I will bring her back, I promise. But I need you to stay behind just in case we do fail. Some one needs to lead the next attack against him."

Schach opened her mouth to protest but Verossa put a hand on her shoulder.

"Schach, enough," he said. "Well, Hayate, we'll do things your way. I leave Carim in your hands."

"Thanks, Rossa," Hayate said. "I'll do everything in my power to put an end to this so please be patient until then."

"We will." Verossa smiled. "You have my word."

X-X-X

"What are you grinning about?" Teana raise an eyebrow as Subaru practically floated up to her. And to think Subaru was so worried a week ago.

"Ehehe, I actually managed to cheer up Nanoha-san this time!" Subaru said. "She even gave me a hug!"

"I guess you were bound to get it right one of these days." Teana gave her a friendly shot to the arm. "All set for the mission, then?"

"I feel like I could take on an army!" Subaru pumped her fists.

"Yo, I see you never change."

The girls turned to the new voice.

"Vice-sempai," Teana said. "What are you doing here?"

"I hear you were all off to a fancy shindig so naturally you need some one to take you there in style." Vice pointed to himself with his thumb, shot a wink, and flashed a grin.

"You don't change either." Subaru laughed.

"I thought we were only allowed ten people, though," Teana said.

"I'm just the chauffeur so there shouldn't be a problem." His expression turned serious. "I wish I could help ya in some other way, but… Are you all ready?"

"As ready as we'll ever be, I guess," Teana said.

"Wonder what that guy's trying to pull inviting you all like that…" Vice rubbed his chin. "Maybe he wants to stage his own version of the Inter Middle tournament, fighting each of you one by one until he's beaten you all…"

"Huh?" Teana and Subaru both said.

"Ah, forget it," Vice said as he flicked his wrist. "Not much longer until take off so if there's something you need to do, better go do it."

"I think we should decide what to have for dinner when we get back!" Subaru said, mouth watering slightly as she imagined the possibilities. "Something to celebrate saving the world again!"

"Sounds like a great idea!" Vice grinned. "I know some good places."

Teana smiled widely. "I'm so not covering the bill."

X-X-X

It wasn't long until the squad was in the air and off to the enemy strong hold. Hayate surveyed her troops and was pleased to see all of them eager and determined. A lot had happened but she knew she could now count on everyone to give it their all.

"Okay everyone, listen up," she said. "Right now we're heading into unknown enemy territory so be on high alert. Volvo's intentions are still unknown so we have to prepare for any manner of trap. I know you've all trained hard this past week but you can never be too careful. I don't need to tell you what is at stake here so failure is not an option. We have three main objectives: to defeat Volvo, to save Carim and Yuuno-kun, and to all return safely. If you fail that last objective you'll be punished by having to wear a nurse uniform for a month. Understood?"

"Yes, commander Yagami," they all said in unison.

"Good." Hayate smiled proudly. "Now let's go show that wannabe king that it was a mistake to pick a fight with us!"

Everyone gave a cheer before Vice called back to inform them of their arrival. The helicopter landed on the roof of the fortress right in front of a corridor of robots and the mages and knights disembarked. Hayate felt a swell of emotions when she saw the robots weren't the only ones to greet them.

"Carim, you're okay!" Hayate made to go to her but she stopped when she noticed the vacant look in the other woman's eyes.

"Welcome, honoured guests." Carim said flatly while pulling at the sides of her apron covered black dress. "My master has been expecting you."

"Carim, what's wrong? What happened to you?"

"Please follow me and I shall take you to him," Carim said as she turned.

"Carim!" Hayate reached out to her, but Signum put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mistress, I don't think you are reaching her," she said. "Please be calm. We can reverse whatever conditioning she has undergone after the battle is over."

"You're right, Signum." Hayate took a deep breath. "I won't let him get away with this."

"Neither will any of us," Signum said.

They all proceeded in silence down the spacious corridors of the building. Everything was a stark metallic white that had been polished to a mirror sheen. Except for the occasional robot guard the hall was completely empty.

Eventually they came to huge double doors that had sentries posted on each side. Carim knocked gently and the doors slowly swung open, revealing the expansive space beyond. Nanoha was struck by a sense of déjà vu, especially when she saw the throne up against the far wall. Upon the throne Volvo sat, armour clad and smiling brightly as his guests approached him.

"Welcome to my not so hidden above ground lair!" He said as he stood. "I trust you had a pleasant trip. Thank you for showing them here, Carim."

Carim bowed deeply.

"What did you do to her?" Hayate said as calmly as possible.

"Just had some fun with her, is all." He grinned wider when Hayate seethed. "Oh get your mind out of the gutter. The most demeaning thing I did was make her wear that maid outfit. Looks pretty damn good on her, doesn't it?"

Hayate said nothing.

"Well, what can I say?" Volvo shrugged. "Carim just realized the inevitable and decided to pledge herself to the winning team. That'll be all for now, Carim. Keep yourself out of danger until it's over."

"As you wish, master." Carim bowed again and turned to leave. When she passed Hayate she whispered: "Do take care. I don't want to clean this place anymore."

Hayate masked a relieved smile. "I'll try not to make too much of a mess."

When Carim was gone Volvo spoke again.

"It's really nice to see the ten of you here. Well…" He spied Reinforce Zwei as she floated by Shamal's shoulder. "Ten and a quarter, I suppose, but that you'd bring your devices was a given."

"So, what exactly did you call us here for?" Hayate asked.

"To decide the course of the future, naturally," Volvo said. "If you beat me then it's over. But if I win…"

"So you're planning on fighting all of us?"

"What? Of course not! There's only one suitable way to decide the fate of the world! We're going to play a children's card game!"

"Huh?" Subaru nearly stumbled.

"On motorcycles!"

"Card games on motorcycles? He can't be serious!" Subaru looked to the others.

"Don't listen to him, Subaru," Ginga said.

"He's only trying to unsettle us," Zafira said.

"What, no good?" Volvo shrugged. "Fine, fight to the death it is then." With a snap of his fingers a large magic array appeared on the floor of the room.

"So it is a trap!" Fate said.

"Everyone, be sure to…" Hayate was cut off by a flash of light. When it subsided only Nanoha and Fate were left in the room.

"Hayate-chan! Vita-chan! Subaru!" Nanoha looked around frantically.

"They're not responding to telepathy…" Fate said.

"What did you do to them?" Nanoha turned to Volvo.

"I got rid of them," he said. "They're fine… for now. I just sent them to meet their dance partners."

"What about the two of us?" Nanoha asked.

"You and me have unfinished business. As for Fate…"

"… Where is she?" Fate asked.

"She's waiting for you right through that door." Volvo snapped his fingers again and a side door opened up to another hallway.

Fate looked from the door, to Nanoha, and then back again.

"Go on, Fate-chan." Nanoha smiled as she took Fate's hand with both of hers. "You have something you need to do, right?"

"Yes, but I don't want to leave you here by yourself…"

"I'll be fine, so please go."

"Nanoha…" Fate looked into Nanoha's eyes and saw the resolve in them. She was still worried, but she had to believe in her. "Okay."

"… Are you two gonna kiss now? Cuz that would totally be hot."

They ignored Volvo's comment and bumped fists.

"Stay safe, Nanoha."

"You too, Fate-chan."

Fate activated Bardiche and flew down the hall in a streak of light.

"And then there were two," Volvo said as he looked down at Nanoha. "Today we'll settle this. Third time is the charm, after all."

"I'm not the same as I was when we last fought," Nanoha said.

"Yeah, I was wondering what kind of expression you'd be wearing when you came here. Hurt, sorrow, grief, you know, the stuff you expect to see from a person who's been informed of how horrible she is. But here you are, eyes filled with confidence and… hope. I'm a little disappointed." He frowned. "But that just means I get to beat those misguided emotions out of you."

"I'll admit my head hasn't been on straight for the past few days but not anymore. I'm back to my old self which is why I have to ask…" She put on a soft smile. "Please tell me your story. If you cooperate we can find a way to compromise so no one else has to get hurt. We might even be able to become friends."

Volvo just blinked a beat before scowling. "What, is this the part where I regale you with my tragic back story? Sorry, but that might make me somewhat sympathetic villain and we can't have that. I will tell you that I won't settle for anything less than total domination so take your compromise and friendship and shove it."

"I see. That's too bad." Nanoha lowered her head for a moment before raising it again. "Then we'll have to do this the hard way. I'll defeat you and get Yuuno-kun back."

"And how do you plan on doing that?"

"The same way I do everything else: by going all out, full power!"

"But Yuuno doesn't want to go back!" Volvo grinned. "He hates your guts, remember? He's happy here with me so to coerce him to do something against his will using force is something most people would consider evil, isn't it?"

"Your lies won't work on me anymore," Nanoha said. "I know Yuuno-kun doesn't hate me."

"What?" Volvo frowned. "How do you know? Where's your proof?"

"I know, because even now…" Nanoha closed her eyes as she was engulfed in light. When it subsided she now wore her barrier jacket, but her hair remained in its single tail. "He's still wearing the ribbon I gave him."

"Grr… Something so insignificant…" He reached back to his tail but his hand hesitated before dropping to his side. "That means nothing! He just didn't bother buying a new one!"

"You also said it yourself," Nanoha looked straight at him. "That the reason Yuuno-kun researched the Cradle and got taken over by you is because he wanted to help me with Vivio. He wouldn't have done that if he hated me."

"Tsk…" Volvo's face twisted in a snarl. "Well he may not hate you right now, but it's only a matter of time! The way you treated him, he would have gotten sick of it eventually!"

"You may be right about that," Nanoha said. "So that's why I'll do anything to make it up to him later."

"You…" Volvo gave a derisive laugh. "Don't tell me, did you suddenly realise you're in love with him too? What kind of crappy fanfic is this?"

"To be honest I don't know what these feelings are, but I do know one thing for sure!" Nanoha held Raising Heart at the ready. "Yuuno-kun is a very important person to me so I will do everything in my power to save him no matter what!"

"And you think you can reach him with half assed feelings like those? Fine, I look forward to seeing you try!" Volvo assumed his stance. "Heaven or Hell, let's rock!"


End file.
